Shinigami: Vampire Hunter
by Eski
Summary: Duo Maxwell is the Executioner, a licensed and deadly vampire hunter. When undercover work puts him too close to the monsters for comfort, everything that he knows is turned on its head. 1x2. Slash, naughty language and sex ahead! Chapter 15, the end!
1. Chapter One

Shinigami: Vampire Hunter is a fic set in the Anita Blake-type universe, with our pilots based loosely on characters from that. Extremely loosely. I've borrowed the creative talents of Laurell K Hamilton (who, by the way, you should check out if you haven't already) and twisted them to come up with… well, whatever this steaming pile of crap is.

Here comes the typical disclaimer which I'm sure you're sick of seeing by now. I do not own:

Gundam Wing

The G-pilots

The concept of vampires

Coffee

Leather

Anita Blake

The term 'ass-deep in alligators'

A brain

There you have it. Now, on with the fic!

* * *

"Duo, get your pansy ass in here right now! Maxwell!" 

That'd be me, Duo Maxwell, the dashing protagonist. Famous across the lands if not only for my undeniable wit and charm but also for the fact that I'm a heap big vampire slayer. The monsters call me the Executioner but I prefer Shinigami. It's just got a bit more flair, y'know?

"Maxwell, we don't have all the time in the world here. Move it!"

I do the usual tasks assigned to a licensed vamp hunter: hunting the big nasties down, executing the ones not sticking to the vampire rules and basically enforcing the law. You know, kicking ass and all that. Of course, ever the giver, I go above and beyond the normal call of duty with my special talent: necromancy. Some call it a gift but I'd consider it more a curse. I mean, who likes waking up at 3am to find their dog in the bed with them, especially when that dog has actually been dead for 2 days?

"I'm coming already," I answered finally, entering the living room to see my partner in crime sat in a chair with a sour look on his face. Chang Wufei, also known in some circles as Justice. Up his own ass but not a bad guy. Mostly. "Not had your coffee yet, Wu?"

"Can we get serious here?" he demanded after glaring at me, crossing his arms over his chest. "We have a job to do."

Settling down on the large leather couch, I shrugged. "All right! What's up, oh wise one?"

"I'm sure even you, Maxwell, have noticed the rise in the amount of vamp-related killings lately," he paused for dramatic effect, fixing me with a pointed look. "My source tells me that a lot of the big names in this town are attending a party tonight. A freak party."

"Yeah… So?"

"We need to go, Duo." Wufei said shortly, not looking especially happy about that fact.

I blanched. "So what, we're just gonna march in and willingly give ourselves up to the junkies and the fangs? Sounds like a great plan!" I muttered, taking a sip of coffee and then grimacing. Decaf! Trust that asshole to mess even a simple cup of java up.

"If we get in there, we can get some solid information about what the hell is going on. Look, Duo, if we don't do this then who knows how many more people will die! We have to put a stop to it now."

Oh, crafty. Using the whole guilt trip thing. It's not like I wouldn't normally jump at the chance to kick some undead butt but, well, freak parties… let's just say they aren't ideal. You've got your basic junkies, the freaks who get off on being bitten, and then you have the vamps. The powerful ones normally avoid the parties but if they'll be out in force tonight… well, who am I to pass up an opportunity to do what I do best?

"Fine, fine, I'll do it."

"There's one thing, though…" There's always a catch! Well, if going to a freak party isn't catch enough.

"And that is?" I demanded, putting the now cold coffee down and staring intently at Wufei.

A sigh escaped his lips before he could put a cap on whatever he was feeling. "We need to blend in," he said awkwardly, pursing his lips slightly.

"So what you're avoiding saying, basically, is that we need to dress like fucking junkies?" I said bluntly. Well ain't that just the icing on the cake?

"Basically… yeah."

"So that would be your general leather, fishnet, really just anything kinky and/or uncomfortable?"

"Yep."

Fucking great. The obvious problem with that kind of outfit (if you can even call it that) is that guns tend to be pretty visible and there's no chance I'll get in with a cross. Unsurprisingly, walking into enemy territory with no weapons is not high on my list of fun things to do. Damnit! Looks like I'll be depending on my ass-kicking skills alone… which is never a good thing seeing as I'm short and built like a girl, or so Wufei enjoys telling me.

"At least it'll be more interesting than your normal nightly activity of jacking off then falling asleep in front of the TV." The black-haired asshole added, ducking as I threw my coffee at him.

---

Let me tell you, nine o'clock came all too quickly for my liking, and it found me wearing leather pants that brought an entirely new meaning to the word 'tight'. I teamed this with a black shirt, leaving the top few buttons undone to expose my neck, and then finished the look off with some combat boots. So I didn't quite suit the brief but hey, improvisation's the key.

"Are you ready yet?" Wufei asked as he walked into my room, looking like he'd just sucked a lemon or smelled something nasty. He was dressed to kill, no pun intended, in tight black jeans, a close-fitting black turtleneck and a leather jacket. I guess black is the new black this year.

I rolled my eyes in response, nervously fiddling with my braid as we made our way out of the apartment and down to where my motorbike was stored. Aah my baby, my love, my goddess! The only way to travel. I got on and waited for Wufei to stop bitching about the lack of helmet, shaking my head. Tough-as-nails vampire slayer my ass.

---

"I can tell I'm not going to like this," I murmured to Wufei as we walked through the entrance, blasted immediately by the ridiculously loud music. Surely my eardrums couldn't take this for very long? The lights in the place were dim and heat pushed in from all sides due to the seething mob of people packed into such a small area, invading my personal space and irritating me immediately. Did I ever mention I don't like parties?

Making our way over to the bar, we sat down and turned to survey the party. Lots of people, most of them just regular humans with a penchant for being bitten. A couple of vamps dotted around, mostly recognisable by their outdated clothing. My attention was drawn to a couch directly across from me, on which two guys were sat. They didn't look much older than my 21 years but I knew they had a few more centuries under their belts. The first guy had intensely green eyes and brown hair that was very heavy in the front, obscuring half his face nearly. It took me two glances to work out that the small blonde at his feet, head resting on the green-eyed guy's knees, was in fact a guy not a girl as he'd first appeared. Fucking junkies.

The other occupant of the couch had messy brown hair that kept falling into cold blue eyes, which were currently staring right at me. Those eyes were whispering things of dark rooms and sweat and—I jerked my head away, eyes considerably wider than moments ago, and swallowed the golfball that had appeared in my throat. Wufei gave me a look with his slanted onyx eyes then returned to scoping the room.

"When do we start with the info gathering?" I asked, feeling a bit subdued as I turned to my partner. This whole place was just giving me the creeps and I wanted out as soon as possible.

"Right now." Wufei rose from the seat, looking resigned to the task ahead. "If we get in trouble here, there's no way out. We're surrounded by these things. Just try to blend, okay? Or it's ass-deep in alligators for us." With that ominous statement, he moved off and disappeared into the mass of people on the dancefloor.

"Oh gee, thanks. Leave me alone at the bar why don't you! Fucking hell," I mumbled under my breath. As an afterthought, that's the perfect way to make people leave you alone. Just talk to yourself and people tend to avoid you.

"Hello." Well, in theory.

"Unh?" I garbled, Mr. Smooth as ever. Looking slowly up, the first thing I saw was blue eyes. Crap. He cleared his throat, alerting me to the fact that I was staring shamelessly. Damnit!

"Uh, hi." I coughed, throat going dry and making it hard to get anything sensical out. As if knowing the discomfort he caused, a smile spread over his chiselled features and that pale face seemed to come to life. And hell, he probably did know exactly what effect he had on people. Heat crept up my neck and I mentally kicked myself for acting like a fucking retard. Despite my social ineptitude, he held out his hand in a silent invitation to dance.

Well, surely that wouldn't hurt. Y'know, purely to gather information. Right?


	2. Chapter Two

What to do, what to do? For possibly the first time in my life I was speechless, just staring at this man standing before me and trying to figure out the best route of action. I'm pretty sure this was a first: a vampire asking a vampire hunter to dance. Of course, he didn't know that but still… this was just plain weird.

"Well, mon ami?" he persisted, staring down at me as I took in the French accent. That was just a whole new level of smooth.

"Uhh…" My voice came out as a dry rasp and it sounded pathetic, even to me. I rose slowly from the seat at the bar, taking only a few tentative steps forwards before stopping. I was trying to keep my mind focused on the job, not the man I was so close to now but it took effort.

He smiled slowly. "I'll take that as a yes then."

I returned the smile weakly, beginning to doubt my own sanity. Not only was this a vamp, it was also a guy and I didn't normally enjoy dancing with either. My eyes flicked up to meet his just for a second and it was like I'd been hit by a truck. His eyes were such an intense blue, so deep, as though they held all the knowledge of the universe. Looking into his eyes, I knew that this was someone I could trust. He would protect me, care for me, love—wait. What the fuck? Where the hell did that come from?

Ah, newbie error. Idiot. I glared at the general area of his face, not wanting to chance another look into his eyes. We'd been together a minute and already he was messing with my mind. Jackass. A smile spread across his full lips and he shrugged slightly, the picture of innocence.

"No more mind games," I stated firmly, frowning at his chest. Of course, that probably wasn't the best place to focus on as I had the chance to observe in detail every inch of exposed pale skin that seemed to be begging to be touched while awaiting a response.

"Of course," he responded smoothly, not really convincing me that he had any intention of laying off the tricks. In fact, I had the distinct impression that he was playing with me like a cat before it kills the mouse but I shrugged it off wearily and let him lead me towards the dancefloor. Oh, the things I do for my job.

The vampire turned to face me and I could hear the soft slithering of leather over bare flesh, sending tingles down my spine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I began to blush helplessly, feeling just like an awkward teenager at a school dance.

"What is your name, mon ami?" He asked as he rested a hand on my hip casually, gazing down at me as though I were an exotic animal of some description.

I cleared my throat, willing my voice to come out steady. "Duo."

"Duo? Ah, then you should definitely not be alone tonight," he responded with what just might have been a fucking smirk. Asshole. He pulled me closer, pressing his soft lips against my ear. "I am Heero, in case you want to scream it later."

The redness of my cheeks flared even brighter and I pulled roughly away, jerking backwards and putting distance between us. Who the fuck did this guy think he was, god's gift to men? Even if I had been interested in cock, I wouldn't want his. Honestly.

"I'm not gay," I snapped defensively, glaring up at him. "And you, sir, are an asshole."

For some reason, Heero felt that warranted a laugh. "Of course. My apologies, mon petit. Was I too forward?"

"Just slightly," I said, sarcasm thick in my voice.

Chuckling again, he extended his hand once more as a lively beat began to pound out of the speakers. "Come, dance. Let me make it up to you."

Grudgingly I let him pull me in, breath catching in my throat as our bodies pressed together.

So close were we that when his body began to move to the music, so did mine. We moved in unison, bodies swaying in time and hips grinding together. His keys—or something else?—were pressing into my leg and it struck me that this felt more like sex than dancing. Immediately my cheeks flared red and I jerked away, realising what I was doing. This wasn't right, it was just plain unnatural. Heero was a guy and, moreover, a vampire. Those were not my favourite qualities in a prospective partner.

The vampire raised one eyebrow, looking at me with weary amusement. "It feels natural to me, mon ami."

Huh?!

He let out a smug and obnoxious laugh, rubbing his hand along my waist. Before anything else could be said, however, my name was called and I swung around to trace the sound. Spotting Wufei leaning against a wall across from us, I glanced at Heero then made a quick exit towards the onyx-eyed male.

"What?" 

"How is what you're doing helping us at all?" Wufei asked, both eyebrows raised. I didn't know whether he was referring more to the dancing itself or who I was with but, either way, I was all out of smart-assed replies. I could not think of a single thing to say that wasn't extremely childish. He looked surprised that I hadn't responded but before either of us could utter another word, a pale figure grabbed him and pulled him through a curtain that I hadn't even noticed before as it was the same colour as the paint on the walls.

I swore loudly and rushed after them, emerging in an empty room that led to a smaller one. The main feature of this one seemed to be a bed and the general idea appeared to be to cram as many people as possible onto it. As many NAKED people as possible.

My mouth went dry as I stared at the scene before me, seeing Wufei engulfed by a sea of tangled limbs. One person that caught my attention on the bed seemed somehow familiar. He had ethereal emerald eyes and a strange shock of brown hair… ah, I remember! The man who had been with Heero on the couch. Well, he was butt naked now and as I fought to keep my eyes on his face (god help me) I became painfully aware that my partner's clothes had since vacated his body and were now deposited on the floor. Shit, shit, shit.

Arms wrapped tightly around me and someone behind me purred, "Are you just going to stand there all night?" This was followed by a chuckle as I jumped violently. "Don't worry pumpkin, they don't bite… much," the soft voice added, before I was abruptly shoved forwards right onto the bed. I landed between the legs of a naked female, overwhelmed by anger and embarrassment all at once. Who the fuck had an orgy in the back room of a club?!

"Don't be shy." The voice was revealed to belong to the blond who had been draped over the green-eyed guy's legs before and it accompanied a smile just dripping with sweetness. Yeah, he was so nice, clearly. Right now he was stalking towards the bed and then, suddenly, crawling over me like he owned me. Fuckin' a.

"Shit."

I blinked, tilting my head up as the blond guy hastily got off the bed and the room fell silent. I looked around to see who had sworn and found the green-eyed guy, who was staring worriedly at the entrance to the room. I followed his gaze and my heart did a somersault. It was Heero.

No words passed between the two and neither moved; they merely stared at each other. I could practically feel the electricity—or was that testosterone—crackling between them. Without a word, the green-eyed man rose from the bed and hopped gracefully off, still completely naked. The blond followed suit obediently and then the remaining occupants of the bed did too, obviously not wanting to go up against Heero. Jeez, was he some sort of badass or something?

A sigh of relief left my throat and I slumped back, happy now that the only other person on the bed with me was Wufei. At least he wouldn't try to grope me. I looked up eventually and focused my attention on Heero, who was just standing there watching me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, making me snort. Dumb question.

"Yeah, just peachy."

Heero smiled. "And your friend?"

Oh, yeah. I tore myself away from his gaze and frowned as I saw Wufei. He was curled up into a tight ball on the bed, naked except for the tattered remnants of his boxers. Jesus. I reached down and attempted to pry his hands from his head so that I could see his face and assess the damage. It took a moment of struggling to make any headway and then, finally, I managed to tilt his head up and catch the look in his eyes.

"What the fuck?!" I exclaimed, automatically rearing backwards. His onyx eyes were filled with hunger—not human or even vampire hunger. It was just raw, animal hunger. Sexual. I felt genuinely scared looking into those eyes because Wufei just wasn't home. There was nothing left there of the guy I knew. Fighting the urge to run and hide behind Heero, I turned to stare at the vampire.

"What's wrong with him?!" I demanded, accusation blatant in my eyes.

He huffed and looked indignant. "Do not show me such anger, mon ami. Trowa is responsible for this."

"Trowa?"

"You refer to him as the 'green-eyed guy' in your head."

I was too concerned about Wufei at that point to give a shit that Heero was having a nose through my thoughts. "Okay, so, this Trowa dude has done something wiggy to Wufei. Got it. What the fuck did he do?"

"He brought up the need in your friend," Heero answered simply, glancing down at Wufei.

Am I gonna have to beat a proper explanation out of him or what?

"I hardly think that will be necessary."

Now that's just fucking rude.

"Very well, I will not look into your head anymore."

Maybe there's hope for vampire-kind after all?

"You do not like vampires, mon ami?"

Maybe not. I guess some people just don't get it. I turned cool eyes on him, forcing a very icy smile. "Would I be here if I didn't?"

At that, Heero just stared at me, eyes boring holes in my skull. I attempted to not fidget under his gaze as he went completely still, merely watching me. Then: "There are many reasons you could be here but that is not important… at the moment. Anyway, your friend, yes, he has the need. That is Trowa's specialty. The hunger, the need."

"That's nice but what exactly is the 'need' and how long will it last?"

Heero laughed before he could stop himself and I glared at him. That laugh was perversion in its purest form. "I believe you know exactly what it is and I'm sure you can work out what is needed to sate it." 

I could feel the sigh building up monumentally before the exasperated sound came out, showing exactly how frustrated I felt. "Sure, I can guess. But I'm hardly going to let him, uhh… satisfy the need. Not here, anyway."

"Why?"

"Would you let your best friend have random sex in some random place with a totally random person? Actually, don't answer that. I don't think I want to know."

Heero smirked at that then gave me an innocent expression. "If you aren't willing to let a stranger help, why not do it yourself?"

Christ. There are so many things wrong with that statement.

Heero smiled. "Indeed."

"Oh come on. There's got to be another way around this thing, right?"

"Well, yes," he began with a thoughtful look, furrowing his brows slightly. "We could always let him kill someone. I believe that would sort it."

Brownie points to the vampire for rendering me speechless twice in one evening. Fuck.

"I don't like either option." I responded eventually, glancing down at Wufei.

"Of course, the easiest course of action is to let Trowa finish what he began," Heero stated helpfully, smiling as though he enjoyed pissing me off. And he probably did. Handing my friend over to the monsters was hardly high on the agenda, no matter what mind fucking had taken place. It just wasn't something you did, not in our line of work and not if you were even a tiny bit decent as a human being. It was ridiculous to even contemplate.

I sneered at him. "I don't think so somehow."

"I will supervise him." Heero's tone was mild as he said that and his face was innocent but I knew exactly what was going on in his head. You didn't need supernatural powers for that.

"You mean you'll watch."

"Supervise, watch… it is all the same, mon ami." It's hard to insult a man who has no shame. "The process will be even faster if Quatre joins them."

Another name to add to the list of people I will one day torture mercilessly.

"Quatre?"

"Quatre. He is, ah, Trowa's… friend."

"Friend?" Hmm, how to interpret that one. "You mean sex-toy?"

Heero blinked as if surprised by my bluntness then smirked. I guess I hit the nail on the head with that one. He gave a shrug of his delicate shoulders, waving a hand dismissively in the air. "In a manner of speaking, yes. They are bonded together through sex but it is not merely that holding them together, you see. "

I scowled. Somehow, I couldn't imagine them as a loved-up couple. In fact I wasn't sure vampires were even capable of love. Lust, sure, but could they go further than that? Doubtful. Walking corpses can't feel emotions like that. They don't have souls.

"Are you so sure I have no soul?"

When would this dick learn that my thoughts are my own, intended to be private and not broadcasted to any curious vampire who wanted to listen? Argh.

"Perfectly sure. You can't," I stated firmly. There was no doubt in my mind about that. Vampires are dead. The soul leaves the body three days after death which, conveniently, is exactly when a vampire rises. It wasn't exactly rocket science.

"You are very knowledgeable on these matters, mon ami."

I frowned. "Nice of you to notice. Now get out of my head." Not that I could exactly make him but still. It was a principle.

As if he couldn't be bothered to argue, Heero shrugged noncommittally. "I will fetch Trowa and his doll now."


	3. Chapter Three

After roughly five minutes of waiting, avoiding even looking at Wufei for fear of seeing something that would give me nightmares, Heero returned. Halle-fucking-lujah. I crossed my arms over my chest, impatiently waiting for him to bestow whatever wisdom he had gathered upon me. The vampire seemed to be trying to build tension for dramatic effect, as if this was all just some sort of morbid entertainment for him. Which, hey, it most probably was.

"Trowa has confirmed my thoughts, mon ami," he told me finally, standing by the bed and gazing down at me with those blue, blue eyes. "He has generously offered both his and Quatre's services in helping your friend's little… problem."

I scowled at that, shaking my head. "I already told you, I'm not letting that happen!"

Heero arched one brow, pursing his lips slightly. "Then his condition will worsen."

Grinding my teeth together and attempting to not blow a fuse as this was really just grating on my nerves to the extreme, I sent him a deserving glare. "I'm aware that you don't have any fucking morals or decency in you but I am not going to allow those freaks to get their paws on Wufei. It's like fucking rape, for God's sake! And for all I know, it wears off overnight and you guys are just playing me like a fool."

"You would put his safety at risk because of your own hang-ups?"

I gaped at Heero. "Do you not even understand English? Listen, you—you, vampire, I can't do it. I don't know how I can say that any clearer. Why do you even care?"

"I don't," he said shortly, lips twisting into a grimace. "But this problem has happened under my roof and I will see that it is rectified. So talk to them, Duo. See how you feel afterwards."

I ground my teeth together again then, grudgingly, shrugged. He was too persuasive. "Fine."

Heero gestured that they were in the next room and I moved to go, then paused and studied him for a moment. "Don't touch Wufei while I'm gone. In fact, don't go near him. Don't even look at him!"

Heero made a big show of widening his pretty blue eyes and looking as innocent as he could, spreading his hands and cocking his head slightly. "Would I?"

Deafening silence stretched between us, marking my lack of faith in the vampire as I merely stared at him with one raised eyebrow. His lips relaxed into a devilish smile and he shrugged noncommittally, as if confirming what I believed. "Very well. I will stay on my side of the room."

Crossing over to the door at the far wall, I opened it slowly and peeked in. At first glance, Trowa was the only person in the room. He was sprawled lazily on the bed, propped up by crimson and black pillows, and I couldn't decide if he looked more like a Greek god or a porn star with just a thin black sheet barely covering his hips. I allowed my gaze to drift away from the green-eyed one, checking out the décor. Typical. In keeping with the usual styles, it was a bit grim, on the gothic side. Lots of dark colours and such. Though funnily enough, a few years ago I stumbled across the lair of an odd vamp whose idea of fashion seemed to be bright yellow… I guess he was trying to make up for the loss of sun in his life. Crazy.

"Where's the blond?" I asked finally when I was done inspecting the room.

Trowa tilted his head to the side, observing me carefully, and the mound of dark hair shifted slightly. Both of his emerald eyes were revealed, seeming to glow like liquid fire in his face. I tore my eyes from his, not wanting to have the same problem as I had with Heero on the dancefloor.

"Quatre," he murmured softly in his slow, husky voice that would probably work well for phone sex.

I withdrew from the action momentarily, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. This was getting on my nerves, even more so than the jackass in the other room had. How had things developed so quickly into such complete and utter shit? About fifteen minutes ago my biggest concern had been controlling my blushing, now I was considering handing my friend over to some vampires so they could sex him up and cure his weirdass problem.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself face-to-face with a leopard. Now, I'm a big tough vampire hunter, sure, and I'm used to taking down the biggest and meanest creatures around… but a leopard is a whole different kettle of fish. They're not like preternatural creatures; they don't kill for fun or sport, they do it because they're hungry and it's instinct. While even vamps have a bit of mercy in them sometimes, there's no chance of that from an animal. Especially from an animal that was now eyeing me like a piece of meat.

As I took one step backward, which took a whole lot of effort as my legs felt like jelly, the leopard's amber gaze was steady on me. One giant paw came out and swatted my leg, sending my heart into my throat. The leopard flashed long, white fangs at me that looked like spears this close, suddenly making all of the vamps seem tiny and pathetic in comparison.

Jesus, what's the fucking appeal in having an animal like this as a pet? They're meant to be free, not cooped up with some undead freak. As that thought crossed my mind, another joined it: maybe the guy on the bed liked animals a little more than the rest of us? Eww.

"You wanted Quatre, no?"

For a moment I was speechless, contenting myself with just staring at Trowa. That was better than the idea of him being pleasured by a furry, four-legged critter (or is it the same thing really?) but still, this felt an awful lot like the two of them playing with me.

"This is Quatre?" I asked, squinting slightly as if that would make it resemble the blond.

Trowa gave the slightest of nods. As if on cue, the leopard padded over to him and leaped up onto the bed then began the painful-looking process of transforming to human. It was not nice and neat like they always show it in the movies; no, this was all limbs stretched into weird angles, half fur and half skin, and crunching sounds to match. The whole procedure made me feel sick and it took all the control in the world to not gag as it went on.

Finally all traces of animal were gone, leaving the human form of Quatre who was completely naked and seemingly very happy to be curled up in Trowa's lap. A blush stained my cheeks as I fought to keep my eyes on their faces, even as the vampire stroked his hands along almost every inch of exposed skin. His eyes were fixed on mine the whole time while he smiled broadly.

As his large hand ran lightly up Quatre's thigh, I shook myself. "Can we cut the crap?"

"Crap?" Trowa repeated, tilting his head and feigning confusion.

I frowned, staring at him with hard eyes. "I don't have the time or the patience for this shit. If you can help Wufei, do it or I'm outta here."

"You would leave your friend in his helpless state because you cannot control your temper?" he asked, smirking as his other hand stroked through the blond's hair.

Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath and counted to ten in my head. For everyone's sake, I couldn't let my anger get the best of me. I've never really had the best self-control but after Wufei forced me to go to some anger management classes, I've at least got some methods to take the edge off. By the time I've finished counting, sometimes I've forgotten why I was pissed off in the first place.

Trowa smiled, obviously pleased by my attempt at restraint. "We can talk now."

Quatre patted the bed welcomingly, smiling innocently. Yeah, innocent my ass! Talking was fine, that's what I was here to do after all but getting on the bed was hardly necessary, especially considering the previous events of the night. As my disapproval showed blatantly on my face and I didn't move a muscle towards the bed, the vampire frowned at me.

"Will you refuse my hospitality?"

Oh, typical. I was pretty sure that I didn't want to piss this guy off for two reasons: one, he was quite capable of snapping me like a twig and eating me for breakfast without a moment's thought and two, he could refuse to help Wufei at all and that would be bad. Forcing myself to smile, though I knew it wasn't too convincing, I edged towards the bed. It didn't help to speed my journey that Quatre was eyeing me like a piece of meat again. I perched on the edge, cringing.

"That's better."

Course it is. Fucking hell.

"So, how much has our friend told you?

'Our friend'? Ah, Heero I guess. "He talked about the need. He talked a lot about it, actually. I'm still not even 100 what the fuck it is but whatever."

Trowa nodded. "Right. Well, your friend, Wufei, will not be able to think straight or do anything until he has gotten this out of his system," he explained, rubbing Quatre's thigh again. "The only way to do that is for him to be with someone. Intimately."

"And there's no other way? Absolutely nothing else that can be done?"

The vampire studied me intently, looking genuinely curious now. "Are you so uncomfortable with the idea of sex?" he asked, tilting his head again. I guess for a creature that thrives on sex, the idea of not being at ease with it was probably pretty foreign.

I shrugged. The main problem was that I still had my doubts about the whole thing. I was not in a position to know the ins and outs of this so there was the chance that it would just wear off naturally. I could be playing right into their hands. But, I suppose Heero was right—am I willing to take that risk just to save myself from making a hard decision?

"Sex with random people is where the problem lies," I stated after a moment's pause. "I'm sure Wufei isn't gonna appreciate this. It's just like rape, really."

"Rape is such a harsh word, my friend. I know he will not mind. The need dispels any fears or doubt; he will feel glorious when all this is over," Trowa said confidently, smirking.

What a dick.

I ground my teeth again. "That's not the point. He's my friend, I'm not meant to get him in this kind of shit."

"That is irrelevant. This is the situation and you cannot change it."

"You think too much," Quatre added, surprising me. If anything, I'm normally told the complete opposite. I had no time to contemplate that, however, as he saw fit to crawl forwards into my lap.

"Hey, hey! I don't need to be sated, I'm fine! Get off!!" I exclaimed fervently, trying to push him away but failing miserably. No match to the strength of a wereanimal set on wrapping his arms around me and snuggling, I guess. He could crush me if he wanted to, easily.

"Relax, friend." Trowa said, smiling.

"I don't need to freaking relax, I need to not have someone molesting me!" I declared, voice rising as Quatre nuzzled my chest, hair tickling my chin. Maybe I was overreacting here but hey, personal space is called personal for a reason. "Just get this animal off me or I will remove him forcefully!"

Of course, there was no real way for me to do that (aside from blowing his head off—not that I had a gun handy) but issuing threats always makes me feel a little happier.

Quatre let out a small sound akin to a whimper and when I glanced down at him, his aquamarine eyes were welling up. He sniffed, looking small and weak as he buried his face into my shoulder and began to shake as he whispered, "I'm not an animal."

I probably couldn't have been more surprised, even if Trowa had jumped up and done a little jig. Awkwardly patting the blond on the head as the vampire looked on with something like amusement painted across his features, I contemplated the utter weirdness of the situation.

"Look, uh… uh, I'm sorry. Okay? You can, uh, sate Wufei. Or something. Just stop crying!"

Quatre shifted immediately so that his face was visible; the tears were completely gone and he showed no signs of distress. In fact, now a wicked smile was curving his lips. My eyes narrowed.

"You…" All my frustration and anger seemed to build up at once along with the headache I'd been fighting earlier, all culminating in a stabbing pain in my temple. This was fucking unbelievable. I was livid now but I could barely even think as multicoloured dots danced across my vision and taunted me with their bright, painful colours. I blinked repeatedly, just making out that Trowa's mouth was moving but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

I reached out to try and grab Quatre's collar, as if to threaten him but my vision blurred and I tumbled sideways as a wave of dizziness hit me. I could feel Trowa shaking my arms as my vision faded completely and I was engulfed in darkness.


	4. Chapter Four

"Duo?" A soft voice penetrated the darkness, dispersing the fog clouding my head. I cracked my eyes open, letting them adjust to the light, and found myself staring up at Trowa. His emerald eyes reflected something I couldn't quite figure out—I was pretty sure it wasn't concern, at any rate. He watched me straining to sit up, feeling ultimately pathetic, then eventually grasped my arm with a strong hand and eased me upwards to rest on the cushions.

"Feeling better?" he inquired, hand still resting on my arm lightly.

Shrugging slightly, I casually pushed the hand away. "I'm fine," I said stiffly, still nursing a hangover-style headache but feeling marginally better than I had prior to my spaz-out.

"Good."

The relief in that single word was so great that it made me slowly turn to look at Trowa, eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. "When did you start giving a shit?"

I was rewarded with silence but his eyes flicked over towards the room where Heero was minding Wufei. That intense green was accented now with fear, briefly, before returning to neutrality. I frowned. Was he worried about what the other vamp would do if I was hurt in any way? Hmph. Maybe they all considered him more of a badass than I gave him credit for.

"Where's Quatre?" I asked suddenly after glancing around, finally noticing he was no longer there.

Just a simple mention of the name softened Trowa's eyes, his lips curving into a relaxed smile. "He went to get dressed," he explained, then laughed at the surprise showing on my face almost immediately at that revelation. "Yes, he does occasionally put on clothes."

Two things happened right then: a jolt of pain suddenly went through my head and I heard Heero cry out. Panic filled me once I had recovered, wondering if Wufei had come to his senses and decided to go slayer on the vamp's ass. After meeting Trowa's eyes, he nodded curtly then leapt across the room in a few graceful bounds while I precariously lifted myself off the bed and hobbled after him, feeling numb from lying down for so long.

Finally getting through the doorway, I bumped straight into the green-eyed vampire. In the back of my mind, I grimaced because he was clad only in a pair of black silk boxers but at the forefront was what was taking place in the room ahead of me as I peeked around his long, lithe form.

Words stuck in my throat. Heero was sprawled on the bed with Wufei pressed over him, gnawing at the blue-eyed male's neck. It looked painful seeing as the latter had normal teeth, not fangs sharp enough to pierce the skin neatly. The vampire's hands were pushing at him but he was firmly secured.

I forced Trowa out of the way—or, really, he decided to appease me and move as I jabbed his back with a finger—and stalked into the room, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Wufei!"

Heero's eyes flicked to meet mine, unblinking as Wufei continued to try and bite him. It was clear to me that if he really wanted to, he could have easily shifted him. Supernatural vampire strength, hello! But for some reason this little scene was still going on and we were getting nowhere.

"Wufei." I repeated, voice low and hard. The menace in that single statement made Wufei pause, lips still pressed against Heero's necks as his black gaze shifted to me, or more precisely my neck. Losing my temper on a massive scale, I lunged forwards and grabbed his arm roughly, pulling him off the vampire and depositing him abruptly on the floor. The hell with all this pussy-footing about!

Glaring down at him, I instructed, "Stay put."

Although I hadn't really expected him to obey me, he did indeed stay sat on the floor, arms crossed sullenly across his chest. With that hurdle out of the way, I glanced at Trowa—standing in the doorway still amusedly—then stared at Heero. He hadn't moved from his spot on the bed.

"Talk."

His eyes darkened at my tone and presumably the fact that I was telling him what to do, narrowing dangerously. I realised belatedly that losing my temper with a powerful vampire was not a good idea. Especially when all the vamps in the area seemed to be scared shitless of him. I briefly considered apologising and trying for diplomacy but… eh, fuck it. I can yell at whoever the hell I want to for I am Duo Maxwell and that automatically makes me superior. Heero clearly caught part of the thought, frowning deeply at me as his black pupils were nearly swallowed whole by the intense blue iris swelling around them. He was one angry kitty.

"He was overcome by the need," he said finally, staring hard at me. Daring me to argue.

I scrunched my nose up, looking disbelievingly at him. "So you're saying he made the first move? Call me crazy but somehow I find that hard to believe."

He shrugged elegantly. "Believe what you want, mon ami. It is the truth," he said as he pulled himself up finally, rubbing his neck. His fingertips came away with blood and his face turned from irritated to surprised that a human had managed to get through his—undeniably thick—skin. His tongue flicked out to take in those few droplets and I recoiled as his eyes fixed intently on me.

"Is there a written rule that vampires can't waste any blood or something?" I inquired, face still screwed up at the grossness of what had just taken place. God these people were weird.

"No," Heero answered slowly, lips curved into a small smile as he put his hands safely in his lap. "But I have not fed tonight. I am hungry," he added, emphasising the last word and slowly running his tongue over his delicately pointed teeth. Now he was checking out my neck. Asshole.

"Heero."

That word made me tear my eyes from the vampire, looking over at Trowa. In all the excitement, I'd pretty much forgotten that he was there.

"He is close to the edge. If we do not do it soon…" The vampire trailed off, gazing down at Wufei who was now staring unblinkingly at me. Before I could control it, I shuddered.

Heero laughed derisively. "He wants you."

"Shut the fuck up," I snapped without pause, turning my back on him and looking at Trowa. "Do it."

My eyes dropped to the floor as soon as the words had left my mouth. I felt small and defeated; a failure who couldn't look after his friend. But there just didn't seem to be a safe alternative.

Giving me what could almost have been a sympathetic look—if vampires were capable of thinking about anyone other than themselves—he crossed over and lifted Wufei into his arms like he weighed nothing more than a feather, patting me on the shoulder as he left the room.

"Duo?"

I fought a hard battle with myself, eventually winning and stopping myself from turning to look at the beautiful man on the bed. I mean, the filthy and unholy vampire scumbag shitface.

I jumped as arms wrapped around my waist suddenly and Heero pressed up against my back. His head rested softly against my shoulder while my breath quickened imperceptibly, showing my discomfort. But overriding that was exhaustion and general weariness at everything that had happened tonight and, really, I just wanted to let someone else take control for a minute. I relaxed slightly in his embrace, leaning back against his warm, hard body.

"Wufei will be fine," he offered finally, arms tightening as a mostly inaudible sigh escaped my lips.

His soft lips trailed across my neck, pressing a delicate kiss to my skin. A shiver ran down my spine like I'd just dipped my toes into freezing cold water as I felt his teeth graze my neck, feather light. One strong hand tiptoed up my chest, caressing me through the black cotton. I began to surrender to the calm he seemed to bring with every touch, making little sounds in the back of my throat as his hand began to wander ever so slowly downwards until I felt two pinpricks of pain in my neck. For a split second I did nothing, luxuriating in the closeness and intimacy, then my mind exploded with abject horror and I jerked forwards out of his arms.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I practically screamed at him, hands going automatically up to my neck and fingering the very shallow marks in my skin.

His pale face looked whiter than it had earlier, seeming to shine ethereally under the lights but his lips were stained dark with my blood. Heero stayed silent for a moment, watching me very carefully, and then flicked his tongue out to lick the red liquid from his slightly pouted lips.

"I took your not moving as permission," he said very slowly, still regarding me with caution. The vampire smartly didn't make a move towards me, knowing that I would freak out further. "I apologise."

I moved away from him and sat down on the bed, feeling like a lost little boy. My eyes squeezed tightly shut as I fought against the realisation that, actually, I hadn't exactly been actively turning him down. It was undeniable that his lips had felt good, felt right even, on my skin. I let out a pained groan, wondering what the fuck was happening to me today as I lightly trailed my fingers over the holes in my neck and reviewed events. This was completely insane.

The bed creaked as Heero settled next to me and I automatically felt on guard, opening my eyes a crack to look sideways at him. He was trying very hard to not touch me in any way, observing my reactions but then testing the water as he took my hand from my neck. His thumb rubbed softly over my hand before he raised it to his mouth, making my stomach clench as his lips pressed delicately against my skin. Oh, this was completely fucking nuts.

Before I knew what I was doing, my free hand had drawn up to trail across his cheekbones, fingers tracing lightly over his pale, firm skin. Surprise and something ultimately more sensual showed in the vampire's eyes as he stared at me then took my thumb into his mouth. He sucked lightly on it, making my throat go dry and my heart seem to skip a considerable amount of beats.

Before I knew what was happening, my free hand had drawn up and I was running my thumb across his delicate cheekbones. His eyes opened and surprise showed in the blue depths as he looked up at me slowly. I ran my thumb down his cheek then traced his lip, avoiding his gaze. I let out a sudden, pathetic squeak as he took my thumb into his mouth, sucking slightly on it.

"Heero…" I said softly, torn between knowing that I should have pulled away and wanting to see how willing he was to do the same to certain of my other appendages.

"Be quiet," he instructed, pushing me back onto the bed gently. I made a sharp intake of breath as his face lowered towards mine and soft lips pressed slowly against my own.

The kiss sent tingles running through me like wild fire as one of his hands gripped my hair lightly and the other came to rest on my thigh. My mouth fell open in a gasp as just for a brief second he had brushed against my groin and he took that moment to probe my mouth with his tongue. My insides turned to mush as he sucked on my lower lip, drawing it between his teeth. Little blips of pain registered in my mind as we kissed and I vaguely attributed them to the fact that I was making smoochies with a vampire. Fangs are sort of difficult to work around.

"Well hello, Heero…"

A loud voice pierced through me as Heero jerked his head up, turning to see who had spoken. I lay pinned under him, reeling from the intimate touch of the vampire, and could feel as his whole body stiffened. Slowly he crawled off me, eyes still fixed on the older man at the door.

"Treize," Heero said softly, bowing his head in a display of respect.

Who was this guy?! He had interrupted something big—though perhaps that was for the best—and he seemed to scare the pants off Heero. It wasn't a good combination. I zoned out of their conversation as that thought plagued me. The vampire with his pants off wasn't a bad mental image at any rate. As I glanced up briefly to see what was happening, I noticed them both staring at me. My cheeks flushed automatically—stupid, stupid, stupid. Heero was always taking surreptitious (or so he probably thought) looks into my mind and, considering the faintly amused look, it was likely that this Treize guy could probably read thoughts too. Great.

"What?" I asked defensively, trying uselessly to cover my embarrassment.

A smirk quirked Heero's lips and I was immediately offended by the sheer arrogance he emanated. Treize's blue eyes were thoughtful, focused intently on me as his light brown hair shone in the light overhead.

"Nothing," the former said softly, still looking smug. His eyes flicked sideways to regard Treize and the expression faded somewhat, replaced by subdued neutrality. "Duo, this is Treize Khushrenada." There was a pause as anger flashed in his eyes, just for a second. "Master of the City."

Ah, the Big Bad Wolf in the flesh. I gave him a nonchalant glance but couldn't help my stomach sinking. This was the most hardcore vamp on the scene and if things turned bad, well… let's just say things probably wouldn't go in my favour. I continued to survey him silently, trying to gauge his age in my head. He felt old, incredibly so. Much older than Heero, who felt like a baby in comparison. The number that came to mind nearly made me bolt the room without second thought. How could I stay calm next to a guy who'd survived a millennium?

I forced a smile at the ancient dude. "Nice to meet you, I guess."

Treize glanced sideways at Heero. "Interesting catch…"

I continued with the fake smile, trying not to show my mingled discomfort and annoyance as a twitch started in my left eye. Treize had tilted his head and was now appraising me like I was a fine piece of art at a gallery. His stare made me feel dirty but, along with that was the distinct impression that he was observing me like an animal checking out its prey. He raked his eyes over every inch of my body with fierce scrutiny, eyes lingering momentarily on my neck.

"Not bad," he murmured to Heero, lips drawing back in what he probably thought was a positively charming smile but that seemed to me more like he was bearing his fangs at me. That sent an involuntary shudder through me as I glanced at the darker-eyed vamp, silently wishing he would distract Treize. But clearly I would receive no help as his eyes were narrowed at the other man, body stiff and full of tension. I swallowed uneasily, feeling the electricity passing between them. If Heero feared and disliked the older male, I was inclined to as well.

A welcome distraction came finally as the door creaked open and Quatre burst in, all sunshine and lollipops with a big, satisfied smile until he noticed Treize standing there. The smile faded slowly to an uneasy expression to perfectly match mine as his big eyes filled with worry. He glanced from one vampire to another before opening his mouth cautiously. "It's done, Heero."

Treize quirked a brow, curiosity lurking in his blue eyes. Clearly he was very interested in what exactly was done but then whatever else he was feeling overrode that. The vampire stalked over to the blond, who seemed to be fighting the urge to turn and run as the larger man drew him in. I could see Quatre's face as he was trapped in the embrace, eyes terrified as Treize's attention turned to his neck.

I felt a pang of pity but it faded swiftly as I registered what he had said before. Without a word to anyone in the room, I turned and headed off to Trowa's abode. Quatre paled and called out for me to stop but I ignored him blithely and continued onwards into the dark room to see exactly what he wanted me to avoid seeing: Wufei, curled up on the bed next to Trowa, splattered in blood like a sadistic painter had gone mad with the red paint. He was plastered in sweat and panting heavily while the vampire merely lay there, stretched out like a big, lazy cat.

My eyes narrowed imperceptibly. I noted the satisfied smile on Trowa's face as he hopped smoothly off the bed, butt naked. His smile widened as I walked towards him, clearly thinking he had done a good job.

"It has been a—" The vampire was cut off as my fist came down like a piston, connecting with his right cheek and stunning him momentarily. It hadn't done a lot of damage as I was just a puny human after all but he was shocked, standing very still and just staring at me.

"Duo!" Heero called as he entered the room, taking in the scene quickly then striding over briskly as I went for Trowa again. His strong arms held me back easily, even as I fought to get free.

If I hadn't been so angry, the surprised look on Trowa's face would have been funny. But then his pretty eyes narrowed and he stared down at me, large fists clenching at his sides. It struck me that again I was being a complete and utter fool, picking a fight with a vampire but… well, I guess that's just what I do. Act like an idiot and get myself into bad situations. Heero relaxed his grip slightly as I calmed, still wary of me but no longer hurting me with his tight hold.

After a deep, shuddering breath, I glanced up at Trowa. "Thank you."

The vampire saw through my insincere words and obviously fake smile—cause it sure felt more like a grimace than anything else—but he shook his head and smirked anyway, letting it go. Seeing as there was not a mark on his flawless skin from the punch, he seemed willing to forgive. With that out of the way, I suddenly became aware of just how naked he was. And I could see that Quatre evidently wasn't in it just for the good conversation.

Trowa's smirk deepened as he observed my blush, obviously pleased at the reaction. But, sensibly, he didn't press the issue and spoke softly instead. "I must feed now."

I glanced from the vampire to Wufei quickly, frowning and opening my mouth to hurl obscenities at him when Heero cut in smoothly to say, "I will fetch Quatre."

Removing his hands from my arms, though not neglecting the chance to give me a brief caress, he returned to the other room. I gave my full attention now to the wall, focusing on the dim wallpaper in an effort to not acknowledge Trowa. And his nakedness.

"So, uh… I can take him home now?"

Trowa shot me an amused look then nodded curtly. He bent to pick up the boxers from before with the tips of two fingers, grimacing as he observed their state. Just like his body, they were spotted with blood, sweat and other suspicious liquids. It didn't look too hygienic. Realising this also, he dropped them again then ran a hand through his hair—also speckled with liquid. Gross.

The vampire smiled automatically as Quatre appeared, moving over and embracing him roughly. The blond seemed a bit traumatised by whatever had taken place in the room with Treize and he didn't argue as Trowa took his hand and led him through another door (how many fucking rooms were there?) with mutterings about a hot shower.

I stared down at Wufei for a moment then looked up as Quatre stuck his head in with a mischievous expression. "Would you like us to clean Wufei, pumpkin?"

I gave a resounding: "NO!" then, after a pause, tried for manners. "Uh. No. Thank you."

Quatre smirked then disappeared again, leaving me with Wufei and Heero who had just entered the room again.

"Leaving?" he asked shortly, face unreadable and eyes neutral. He might as well have been made of stone.

I studied him for a second, sparing a glance for Wufei, then nodded. "Guess so."

"Hn," he grunted, expression still blank. "And how will you be getting home?"

I opened my mouth to reply then paused, thinking about that. Wufei seemed to be out of it still and I wasn't sure how he'd be sat behind me on my motorbike. Even at the best of times he had trouble holding on. I chewed on my bottom lip, frowning now. "I… don't know."

Immediately Heero brightened. "Then stay here, we have many rooms."

"Isn't it your bedtime?" I said with a trace of venom, raising an eyebrow.

The vampire smiled. "Not for a few hours…"

I was betting that I could figure out how he'd want to spend that time, too.

"I don't think so."

"Ah, so you will put him on your bike and hope for the best?"

I froze, trying to think up something clever to say. I had nothing—cause in all truth, I didn't know what I was going to do. I could have put him in front of me so that my body would hold him in place but then it'd be a fucking battle just getting to the controls. My face screwed up.

"I'm sure your friend would rather stay here. He seems comfortable enough," Heero said smugly.

I frowned at that. "Isn't this Trowa's room?"

"Trowa can relocate."

How arrogant.

"Fine." I relinquished then, in a move that probably pissed Heero off, sat down on the bed. "Night then."

Surprised showed in his blue eyes as he raised both eyebrows at me, confused that I didn't want to go and be alone with him in some dark, seedy room. I couldn't help the smirk; it was my turn with the reins. The vampire shot Wufei a faintly angry look, seeing that I was set on staying put here.

"Very well."

Without another word, Heero crossed the room and left, slamming the door behind him.

Fucking child. I turned to look at Wufei with a resigned sigh then choked as I saw that he was awake now, eyes fixed on me with a curious look in them. "How long have you been awake?"

"I was never asleep," he replied with a smug look.

"Oh." Well. Shitsticks. "So you know we're staying then?"

The onyx-eyed male nodded, still watching him. He sat up and the sheet that had been covering his lower torso dropped, making me feel infinitely uncomfortable. I kept my eyes fixed steadily on his face, trying to gauge his reaction to the scenario. Clearly it wasn't the norm for vampire hunters to have a sleepover with a bunch of monsters.

"It couldn't have worked out better, eh?" Wufei said eventually, still staring at me. "We wanted to infiltrate them… and now we have the perfect opportunity to take them out."

I swallowed hard, feeling like I'd been punched. Dismay flooded through me but I fought to control my expression, focusing on what I hoped was an arrogant smile. "My thoughts exactly."

The slight tremor in my voice betrayed me but Wufei gave it no notice. He lay back down on the bed, sticking his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. I guess he wanted to wait a while so that all the vampires would definitely be sleeping. I felt sick. Could I drive a stake through Heero's heart, hack his head off? It seemed inconceivable. Yet that was what I had come here to do, before I had gotten in too deep, and I couldn't believe that I was having doubts. I was a vampire hunter, licensed and all. It was my job to take out these evil bloodsuckers.

I stretched out on the bed and turned my back to Wufei, aware now that the pounding headache was back. Worrying myself into another faint wouldn't be terribly helpful so I focused on deep breaths and avoiding the issue at hand with thoughts of happy things. Like bunnies.


	5. Chapter Five

I opened my eyes suddenly to find myself on the floor in a very dimly lit room. For a moment, my mind was blank and I panicked—where the hell was I?! Then it all came flooding back and I let out a noisy sigh, glancing around and spotting Wufei staring down at me from the bed.

"…Did you put me on the floor?" I asked slowly, becoming aware of my slightly sore limbs.

A smirk adorned his face as he continued his quiet scrutiny of me, looking pleased with himself. "I got tired of you calling out Heero's name so I kicked you over the edge."

I stared at him then, torn between being annoyed that he felt he had the right to eject me from the bed without warning and feeling extreme embarrassment at the situation. I felt a slight prickling in my cheeks, signalling that they were beginning to go read. Damn him! Why couldn't Wufei ever act as though he was actually a decent human being for once instead of taking every opportunity to torment me?

"As if. You're just a fucking bed hog," I declared angrily, standing up.

Wufei shook his head, as if disappointed that I couldn't come up with anything more witty to say. "Can't do any better than that? Pity. But now that you're up, we might as well go take a walk, eh?" he announced, sitting up. I thought over that slowly, knowing exactly what he intended. Swallowing the lump that had suddenly appeared in my throat, I turned my head slightly away from him.

"Well?"

"It's just… a bit soon. Don't you think?"

Wufei raised both eyebrows at me. "Don't be a coward, Maxwell. We've got a job to do here."

"I'm not being a coward!" I just…" I trailed off, finding myself lost for words. How could I justify being reluctant to go slay a few vampires? That was, after all, what I had dedicated my whole life to in the recent years. It wasn't like Heero suddenly stopped being dead just because he had enticing lips and a talented tongue. They didn't seem on the same scale as the vamps we were used to sorting out but after all the shit that had taken place, it was clear they weren't squeaky clean either. I decided to stop trying before I made a fatal error and set him off.

"Just what?" Wufei demanded, staring intensely at me with dark eyes.

"Nevermind," I answered curtly, averting my eyes. "Let's go."

The Chinese male stood up and dusted himself off. I noticed that sometime between me falling asleep and now, he'd found some clothes somewhere. He saw me watching him and smirked, again—that seemed to be the expression of the night. "You don't think Trowa will mind, do you?"

The tight pants and silk shirt did seem appropriate for the vampire somehow. They looked strange on Wufei but I decided to not comment on it. It would make the situation even harder if I ended up with him pissed off with me to top things off.

"So Wufei," I said conversationally. "What exactly are we gonna use to slay these big boys?"

The dark-haired male stopped brushing down the clothing, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have any weapons… But Trowa does."

That was just cold. Using his own weapons to kill him. I grimaced slightly, shaking my head. I watched as he crossed over to the dresser, pulling open the third drawer and digging around in it. I guess Wufei had done some investigating while I'd been asleep. He pulled out two swords, giving a practise swing of one and chucking the other at me without warning.

I blanched and threw my hands up automatically, gripping the leather-bound hilt and snatching the sword out of the air. I caught it just in time, the blade resting against my thigh only seconds from digging in. Jesus. I guess he hadn't quite forgiven me for the whole Trowa sex thing.

I enjoyed the swishing sound for a moment as I slashed it through the air, getting used to the feel of it. I was no stranger to swords as Wufei considered it an essential skill as a vampire hunter but my weapon of choice was definitely a gun. I tended to look more masculine pointing a gun at someone rather than flicking a sword about like a tool.

"Let's go," the male said, giving me a pointed look then heading off through the door Trowa himself had disappeared through with Quatre earlier.

Fear and anger attacked me as we walked down a long corridor, my mind spewing out grotesque and painful images that didn't fill me with much hope. Eventually we reached a series of steps which disappeared down into darkness and Wufei began to walk cautiously down them, testing each step before he put his whole weight down and holding the blade out in front of him. I followed, hoping to God that I wouldn't slip and break my neck, and put my hand out to touch the wall. My hand pressed against something damp and squishy, causing me to pull away with a yelp and nearly fall down the stairs. Immediately laughter echoed from ahead of me.

"Shut up," I muttered irritably, wiping my hand off on my trousers and keeping my free hand out for balance.

Finally reaching the bottom where flickering lights cast an eerie glow over everything, a chill spread through me. It was cold down here and I couldn't help but shiver. Before us was another corridor which we continued down until we came across a door. I could feel in my bones, without doubt, that Heero was behind that door. I motioned to Wufei for him to move on and find one of the others to sort out, knowing that I had to do this.

As he shot me a suspicious look then walked silently off, I put my hand on the doorknob. My palms were greasy with sweat and fear gripped my insides but I forced myself to take a deep breath and ease the door open. I had been expecting a coffin or something cliché like that but what met me was a massive four-poster bed. Thin white drapes were obscuring the occupant of the bed but through the hazy white material I could just about see his outline.

I moved soundlessly forwards, chewing agitatedly on my bottom lip as I reached the bed and carefully pulled back one of the drapes. Staring down at the vampire, I could hardly believe how perfect he looked. The dark lashes laying against flawless pale skin were so long they almost seemed girly and his cupid's bow lips were begging to be touched. Even in sleep, he seemed to be smirking.

Once I was done memorising every detail, I raised the sword above my head. I had to close my eyes to calm myself, trying to think rationally about this. If I didn't take him out, how many people would Heero go on to kill just to keep himself going? I had to do it. Had to. I prepared to bring it down, giving him one last glance and promptly froze when I saw his blue eyes focused on me.

"W-what?" I spluttered, staggering backwards and letting the sword clatter noisily to the floor.

"Duo," he said softly, eyeing the now fallen sword. He showed no signs of anger or fear and, in fact, he didn't even seem very surprised to find me standing there intending on killing him.

My voice came out slightly strangled as I spoke, still just staring down at him. "Heero… I came here too—I'm a—fuck."

Heero silenced me immediately as he sat up and waved a hand at me, a strange smile curving his lips. "I know," he said simply, watching my reaction intently.

About a hundred different emotions flashed through me at once and I was sure they all showed on my face. How could he know? If he knew, why hadn't he done something? Said something? Jesus Christ. How could the bastard be so calm? I'd come here to kill him!

"I knew from the minute I lay eyes on you, Duo." He added, eyes completely neutral. "Your mind is like an open book and I was all too eager to read the pages of such a beauty."

At the analogy, I grimaced. Did everything have to be so frilly? I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that he knew. He'd intercepted a lot of my thoughts before so why would the most important ones have escaped him? But anyway, that didn't explain why he'd let this whole charade go on.

Heero shrugged his shoulders, making even that one gesture seem elegant, and flashed pearly white teeth with delicately pointed incisors in an arrogant smile. "It was a challenge, mon ami. Women—and men—throw themselves at me every day. I grow tired of such goings on. I wanted someone who would fight me at every turn and, of course, you did that and more."

"You… what?" I was staring at him like he'd just sprouted a third head, barely able to believe what I was hearing.

In what seemed like just a blink of my eyes—and it probably was, as vampires are known to be speedy—he had risen from the bed and wrapped his arms around me suddenly, frighteningly. I gasped at his hot breath tickled my ear and I felt the strength of his limbs around me.

"I know everything that passes through your head. Everything," he growled, tightening his arms enough to remind me of how easily he could crush me. Fear froze me to the spot as the unpleasant realisation came that I was completely at the mercy of this overconfident bastard. I could not move, could not even speak, and there was nothing I could do about that.

"That's right," he purred, nuzzling my neck with his nose and making me shiver. "You're at my mercy."

His hand was beginning to travel downwards to my trousers when the door slammed abruptly open, crashing into the wall as Wufei skidded into the room like a pack of hell hounds were on his heel. When he saw Heero's arms wrapped around me and the sword laying abandoned on the floor, his eyes widened and then hardened as he brandished the sword at us. I guess he'd figured out from my strained expression that we hadn't just decided to have a romantic little rendezvous.

Before anyone could move, however, clattering sounds echoed down the hallway and reverberated into the room to signal that we would soon have company. Heero stirred behind me and loosened his arms, stepping grudgingly away from me. I didn't have a chance to say anything to him as Wufei grabbed my arm and roughly yanked me towards the door, pulling me out of the room. Twisting around as he hurried me along, I caught one last glance of Heero staring at me with a sort of vaguely sad expression before we'd left the room far behind.

I regained some of the feeling in my limbs as he let go of my arm and I clattered up the stairs after him, feet thundering on the stone steps as we hurried up. The sounds of heavy footsteps still echoed behind as we reached the top, making a frantic turn then rushing down the hallway to Trowa's room. Or at least, Trowa's room for entertaining guests, as I gathered that his bedroom was down in the basement with Heero's.

"What the hell do we do?" I hissed, voice almost rising into an uncontrollable shriek as Wufei slammed into the door and sent it swinging open. He stumbled forwards into the room carried by his own momentum then reached a hazardous halt, windmilling his arms.

On the bed sat a pale woman with auburn hair and hazy violent eyes, which took in both my partner and I as we hesitated in the doorway. Wufei's grip tightened on his sword as he shoved it in front of him, watching her rise from the bed and laugh throatily. Her arm extended and pointed towards the far door, a smile twisting her full red lips. I blinked, staring at her and wondering if this was some kind of trick, then jumped as a word echoed in my head.

_Go. Now._

I wasn't sure what to make of it but always being one to act more on impulse than anything else, I grabbed Wufei's arm and took us both past the strange woman. Out the door we went, creating another loud bang as it crashed into the wall, and then through the curtain where all this trouble had begun. The main room was empty now and seemed almost like a different place without the mass of people dancing and talking. I pushed back my thoughts of earlier events as I thundered across the shiny floor, bursting through the main doors and emerging into daylight. I took in a deep gulp of fresh air, welcoming the feeling of the warm sun on my face, slowing heating my frozen insides.

"Duo!" As I blinked wearily, turning from the cloud-strewn sky, I gathered that Wufei had been attempting to talk to me for a while now. I focused on his face slowly, feeling a bit out of it to be back in the bright sunshine after so long cooped up inside in the dark.

"Where's your bike?"

I paused. Casting a look around the area I had parked it, I noticed that my bike, indeed, was not in the vicinity. For a moment I was silent, staring at the space it had once been, and then I let out an outraged roar. A woman passing by gave me a frightened look as she hurried past, eager to get away from the furious maniac that was Duo Maxwell at this moment in time.

"Where's my baby? Where's my fucking bike?!" I demanded, spinning in a circle as if it might have just moved itself.

"Duo, calm down!" Wufei hissed, glancing around as I attracted a lot of attention. "Shut up!"

I growled loudly at him, jabbing a finger in his direction and narrowing my eyes. "You shut up! You don't understand—my bike is GONE! My precious baby is gone. GONE!"

The derisive look he gave me didn't help matters. But as I realised it was futile, my anger slowly dissipated and I deflated with a sigh. This was just great. Not only had I had the worst fucking night of my life, now my motorbike had been taken. I shot an ominous look up at the sky, vowing to wreak some havoc if my luck didn't change soon, then stuck my hands on my hips. "How are we gonna get home?"

Wufei eyed me like I was being retarded. "Never heard of walking, Maxwell?"


	6. Chapter Six

"At last!" I exclaimed as I pushed Wufei out of the way as soon as he had turned the key in the lock, opening the door and bursting into the apartment. I immediately flopped down onto the couch, sprawling out and flinging a hand dramatically across my forehead. "I'm fucking beat. Remind me to never ever walk that far again. Ever."

The onyx-eyed male gave me a look as he shut the door then crossed over to sit in the armchair, smirking. "What, the big bad vampire hunter is defeated by his own feet? How pathetic."

I didn't dignify that with a response; instead I glared balefully in his direction. What a jackass. Was it so hard to just give me a break for once? We'd just had an incredibly odd and, more importantly, exhausting night yet he still sees fit to take the piss. Flipping my middle finger at him, I settled back comfortable on the leather and closed my eyes.

"I'm gonna nap," I declared, grabbing a furry cushion and sticking it under my head.

Wufei's irritation was palpable, even with my eyes closed. "No way! You've already slept today. We have a ton of work to get through so get up off your lazy ass and make me a cup of coffee while I get our stuff organised," he instructed, throwing a cushion at my head to try and make me get up. "Come on Duo, I haven't got all day. Coffee, pronto!"

"Do it yourself you ass," I responded flippantly, taking that cushion and adding it to the one already under my head. "I'm not getting off this couch for anything or anyone. If there's a life-or-death emergency, go call Superman or something. It's my day off."

The Chinese male clucked loudly in annoyance. "Get up!"

When my only response was a loud snore (just to piss him off, really) I heard him stand up abruptly and stomp noisily off to the kitchen. As he banged cupboards about and slammed china down far more loudly than was necessary, I pressed one of the cushions over my head to drown it out. Finally I drifted to sleep, curled up on the couch like a contented cat.

---

"Duo… Duo. Duo! Wake up!" A hand shook me but my brain desperately tried to cling to sleep, shrugging Wufei off and attempting to get back into the dream. "Get up, now!" he added, shaking me harder now and eventually just thumping me on the arm with a bony fist. That was enough to chase away the last vestiges of dream, pulling me abruptly into the land of the living. I cracked one eye open lazily, squinting at the harsh light overhead.

"Dude. Fuck off." I brought a hand up to my face and rubbed my eyes tiredly, still not full awake. It normally took a good hour for me to wake up properly, even after about five cups of coffee. Waking up to Wufei glaring down at me was not really helping. "Why'd you wake me?"

The onyx-eyed one sneered down at me. "Your moans were pissing me off. Control your damn hormones."

My sluggish brain registered those words but they didn't make any sense for a moment. Then the meaning kicked in and my face coloured automatically. I stared up at him then let out a noisy sigh. "It's not my fault. I think Heero did something wiggy to my head."

"Heero? His name wasn't mentioned once," he revealed, quirking an eyebrow. "I'm sure Trowa would be very pleased to hear how much you like his—what was it? His long, thick, hard—"

"Enough!" I shouted, throwing my hand over his mouth to forcibly silence him. "You are an unbelievable jackass."

Wufei leaned down slowly, putting his face close to mine and smiling. "I always thought you were such a womaniser, Duo… Little did I know how much you love the co—"

He broke off as someone knocked loudly at the door then rang the buzzer a few times. We both turned in unison to stare at it, listening to the insistent noise. I flashed him a curious look, wondering just who would be visiting us, then jumped up. I strode to the door at a leisurely pace (for no one rushes Duo Maxwell) and, after a pause to pat my hair down and make sure I was presentable, swung the door wide open to see our visitor.

"Quatre?!" I croaked, staring at the blond with a gobsmacked expression.

The aforementioned wereanimal flashed me a sunny smile then pushed past me, closing the door behind him and casting a look around. As he caught sight of Wufei, his smile widened slightly and took on a teasing quality. God. What the fuck was he doing here? Actually, that seemed like a good question to pose to our newest (and most unexpected) arrival.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I asked wearily, shuffling backwards so that there was some distance between us.

Quatre pouted at me. "It's so boring there, they're all asleep. I thought I'd come say hi!" he paused to smile at Wufei, then continued softly. "And I wanted to see how our charge is doing."

We exchanged a look. "As you can see, he's fine."

"Yes." Silence fell over us for a few moments, before Quatre crossed his arms over his chest and shot me an amused look that seemed to say a lot of things—none of which I could really make out. "I think I agree with Wufei, by the way. You were moaning loud enough to wake the dead!"

This declaration was accompanied by a smile that managed to be sweet yet completely perverted also. Wufei's face showed surprise for a moment at such boldness but then he recovered and grinned at me. What, were they gonna unite to embarrass me or something? Fucking typical. It's not like I can control my hormones or what I dream about—and I bet I wasn't half as bad as they're making out.

"Although, Wufei was quite loud too earlier." Quatre smirked, sitting on the arm of the couch and swinging his legs.

That made the Chinese slayer's smile disappear. Ha.

I was just contemplating the strangeness of the situation when something struck me. "Hey, how did you know where to go?"

Quatre blinked at me in a cute kind of way then grinned. Oh, he was sugar and spice all right. "I got your address from Heero. I'm assuming he got it from you somehow."

I stared at him. "What?!"

Wufei's expression had turned vaguely murderous. "Why would he have our address?"

That elicited a smile from the wereleopard. "Isn't it obvious?"

What a terrifying thought.

Quatre reared his head suddenly, staring out the window and cocking his head to the side as if listening to something I couldn't hear. I blinked at his odd behaviour while he nodded the affirmative to something and smiled to himself, wondering if this was what happened when you spent too much time in the company of vampires. He stood up abruptly, brushing himself down and then shooting me a smile that was positively blinding in its brightness.

"I'll be going now," he stated with a wink and then made his way to the door. Letting himself out, he began to close the door but then changed his mind and stuck his head back into view. "Your bike's back where it belongs, by the way."

The door clicked shut and Quatre's footsteps echoed down the hall. I felt an all-too-familiar twitching start up in my left eye again. Wufei smirked at me as I swore to myself.

"Did we actually just let a wereleopard into our apartment?"

"We did, Duo."

"And did we just have a normal conversation with him?" Well, as normal as it can be with Quatre at any rate.

"We most definitely did."

"…That's just fucked up," I groaned, shaking my head.

Wufei shrugged, sitting down again. "Like it even matters anymore. I think we passed our boundaries a long time ago. I mean, Jesus, Duo. I had sex with a vampire. A _male_ vampire."

I winced. He remembered everything? "It just… it's against the rules, isn't it?"

"You think too much," Wufei chastised me, shaking his head.

I blinked at him. Why did people keep saying that recently? It's normally quite the opposite. UNGH.

"It's just not important right now.

"But—"

The dark-eyed 23-year-old cut me off. "But nothing! Wallowing isn't going to change anything so get over it."

I glared at him but his words rang true. I sighed. This was just too complicated for my liking and I didn't know what to think anymore. So I guess the solution was to just stop thinking as much as possible. Hey, that doesn't seem too hard. "What are we gonna do now then?"

Wufei shrugged, folding his arms over his chest. "I guess we wait for the next orders to come through. I mean, we were supposed to get info last night but that kinda fell through so we'll just have to wait and see."

I thought about that for a moment then, suddenly, yelped and turned excitedly to him. "I got the name of the Master of the City! I know what he looks like, Wufei!"

"How the hell did you manage that?!"

"He came in while Heero and I were—" I stopped talking suddenly, just about aware of what I had been about to say. "He came in while you were with Trowa." There, that was better. "His name is Treize Khushrenada and he's a fucking creepy bastard."

Wufei flashed me a look that might just have meant he was impressed with me. "Good boy."

"Maybe we could talk to a few junkies, or a few vamps, and get some more info about him?"

That warranted a long, hard stare. "You mean Heero."

"What? No!" I defended my words immediately, looking indignant. "Why would I want to talk to him?"

"Thought so," Wufei confirmed to himself, smirking at me. I sighed eventually and shrugged.

"So what if I do?"

He rolled his eyes. "Nothing. It's not a bad idea really, if he knows Treize. But this time, we're gonna be more organised. He can come to us."

I quirked a brow at him. "How are we gonna arrange that?"

Wufei smiled brightly; that alone sent chills through my body, and then I realised what he might have been contemplating. "I think it's time to give Relena a call."


	7. Chapter Seven

Could things get any worse? No. Not in the slightest. Even if Heero had suddenly arrived and made me his sex-slave, it would not be worse than this. And not even if Trowa and Quatre had forced me into an orgy with their friends. For, my friends, nothing is worse than this. There is not one thing in the world that can even come close. I kid you not.

"Duo, are you listening?"

A fate worse than death, worse than… anything. Relena, oh, Relena. It's not that she's that bad, really—I mean, nice girl and all… but the vamp obsession. That gives me some problems. It's not at the level of a normal junkie, no. Relena goes above and beyond; this girl would do anything if the vampire asking was good looking enough. The girl just has no limits.

"You're not, are you? Come on, this is important!"

Relena is like… one of those people who would go to a freak party and be completely in her element. Actually, no—she'd be the happy host. You know? Some of the stories I've heard about her have made me feel physically sick and she's pretty much the opposite of everything that I am. Although that could be disputed recently but hey, shut up. I didn't ask you.

"Duo, for God's sake!"

As the impatient voice that I had been tuning successfully into the background rose to a new level of loud, a thrum of pain went through my head. That snapped me out of my thoughts and I reared my head back, staring at Wufei. He'd just lost his temper and hit me upside the head.

"Ow, what?!" I demanded, putting a hand to my head and glaring at him.

The engine that had been purring steadily in the background was cut off as Wufei pulled over suddenly, letting other cars whoosh past along the busy road. I crossed my arms sullenly across my chest, ready to get a long lecture about how rude I was being and how important it was to concentrate when he's talking to me. Blah blah; I've heard it all before and, trust me, it doesn't ever work to change my behaviour. Some things are just more interesting than him.

"You haven't listened to a single thing I've said this whole journey, have you?" Wufei hissed, voice raising with anger as I refused to even look at him, instead focusing on the black paint on the vehicle that was steadily flaking off. "This is so typical! We've got a load of stuff to do and you can't even be bothered to listen to me! I could have been giving you life or death information and you would have missed it all. Do you even care about helping people, Duo? Duo!"

I received another smack as he realised I'd tuned out again. "Wufei, man, I never listen. And I doubt what you were saying was important, anyway," I offered, patting him consolingly on the arm. That warranted an exasperated look directed my way.

"I was talking about Relena."

"See?"

"Oh shut up," he snapped. "She's agreed to help us set up this meeting but her terms are that she's with us at all times and she gets some alone time with Heero at the end of it."

I stared at him for a second, then, "What?!" The girl is insane—she would put her life at risk just for the chance of some undead nookie. "So she just really wants the chance to get down and dirty with one of the big bad vamps? Jesus."

"Basically, yes. Why, you got a problem with that?" Wufei asked, shooting me a sideways look as he twisted the key in the ignition, sticking his foot back on the pedal and swerving us back out into the steady stream of traffic. A car behind honked its horn angrily but he paid it no notice, speeding up as he waited for my response.

"Of course not," I rebutted, sighing. "I'm just saying…"

Wufei smirked.

"So like… where exactly are we going again?" I queried suddenly, realising that I hadn't absorbed a single thing he'd said since we'd left the apartment. I knew we were off to meet with Relena and hopefully Heero but other than that, I was clueless. I'd been preoccupied originally with Quatre and the reappearance of my motorbike so I hadn't listened to the Chinese male as he'd ranted on and on (and on, and on, and on…) about our course of action.

"Oh man, Duo… I can't even be bothered to yell at you anymore. We're going to a club called Guilty Pleasures. Relena said she'd meet us there, with news from Heero with any luck."

I paused. "Waitasecond! Isn't Guilty Pleasures a strip joint?"

"Club… with the occasional stripper," he shrugged. "I didn't pick the location, Relena did. If she's gonna cooperate with us, we have to do what she wants for now, okay?"

I grimaced. The idea of having to do what someone else wanted was never appealing, even less so when it was Relena Darlian. Who knew what kind of ghoulish things she could enforce if we were just going to play along and do it? Scary though. God it sucks being me sometimes.

"Are we nearly there yet, Wu?" I asked in a singsong tone, glancing away from the window and at Wufei.

"Almost," he replied shortly, carefully avoiding my gaze.

"How much longer?"

I caught his eyebrow twitching slightly as he presumably worked out that I would most likely spend the rest of our journey (however long or short it turned out to be) pestering him. He jabbed a button and music blared out suddenly, drowning out whatever I would have wanted to say. Sending Wufei a mutinous look, I turned once more to the window and contented myself with just staring out, watching the buildings and people fly past.

---

"Wufei, Duo!" Relena welcomed us in her soft voice, ushering us in through the door.

I forced a smile onto my face, knowing that it probably looked really fake, and nodded my greeting to the girl as her hand extended and patted my arm. Her cornflower blue eyes were sparkling with cheer as she gazed at us but then, suddenly, those eyes dropped to focus on my chest. What? Then it clicked—she was staring at my cross. Of course a vampire junkie wouldn't be too happy about that sort of accessory… but that was her problem, not mine.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take that off if you want to come in," she said softly.

Wufei frowned at me then focused intently on Relena. "We _have _to?"

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she flashed pearly white teeth at us, dripping with compassion and sincerity. "Yes, company rules." I was waiting for the ping to come from her shining teeth when Wufei let out a heavy sigh then removed the large silver cross from his neck, pooling the chain into Relena's waiting hand. She placed it immediately into the container at the side.

"Wufei!" I admonished, narrowing my eyes at him.

"We're not getting in there if you don't take it off, Duo. We _need _to get in there," he told me softly, pursing his lips together.

Relena turned her gaze to me, smiling still and patting me patronisingly on the arm. "I know this isn't something you want to do, Duo, but you can trust me. You'll have safe passage through here today. It's too early for most of them anyway but really, you'll be okay. You have my word."

Because that stood for so much. I grimaced like I'd just sucked a lemon then shook my head resignedly, lifting the chain over my head and carefully handing it to the girl. I was rewarded with a bright smile and then she guided us over to a table set in the middle of the room, almost perfectly central in regards to the large stage in front of us. That wasn't really where I wanted to be—if we were still here when the nightly action started, I was pretty sure this wasn't the best place to sit for me personally. God knows I don't need anyone stripping for me. Wufei pulled out a seat and sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him and giving me a look as I didn't move. Shooting him a deathglare, I sat down grudgingly and watched as Relena smoothed her violet skirt down then gave me a comforting (or so she thought) smile.

"So, what would you like to discuss?" Her face was friendly and open but, seeing as that's her default expression, I wasn't sure if I could trust it. I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"Heero," I said, crossing my arms.

"I see," she mused, resting both hands in her lap. "What in particular about Mr Yuy?"

Who the fuck referred to vampires like they were VIPs? …Relena, I guess.

"We want to meet with him," Wufei cut in before I could formulate a response, leaning forwards slightly.

The girl cocked her head then, after a moment's thought, nodded. "I believe I can arrange that. In fact, it will be easy—he will be here soon. You remember my terms?"

Wufei nodded awkwardly. "Whatever you want."

I spluttered. "What's the appeal with Heero? He's such a—a—jerk."

The honey-haired girl raised an eyebrow at the question and the word I used to describe him. Clearly that wasn't her adjective of choice. "His bite is the best in this city, Duo. It goes much further than anything you would experience with any of the other vampires—trust me."

How much pleasure can you get from an undead freak biting you?! Maybe it's just because I'm a vampire hunter, though I like to think its cause I have my head screwed on right, but I just can't see the appeal. I opened my mouth to argue but Relena shook her head almost violently, blue eyes beginning to show the first signs of annoyance. Wufei shot me a warning look and I shut my mouth abruptly, allowing the girl an opportunity to speak.

"You have your preferences and I have mine. We may not agree but I don't challenge yours so please show me the same courtesy and do not challenge mine," she stated, staring at me intensely. That definitely shut me up. Wufei smirked at me, as if to say: ha, ha! You were subdued by a woman, a vampire lover, a junkie! I glared at him but decided against speaking in case Relena lost her temper. We definitely needed her on our side here.

"So when can we meet him? It's really—" I trailed off into a squeak as I caught sight of who had just walked out onto the stage, mouth opening and closing in a remarkable impression of a fish.

Wufei turned to follow my gaze and then smirked for all he was worth. I didn't really care, though—I was too busy staring at Heero like I was seeing him for the first time. He was clad in another pair of impossibly tight leather trousers which seemed to emphasise every detail—_every _detail. On his upper body was a skin-tight white shirt made out of a filmy, almost see-through material. It was long at the wrists, draping over his hands and accentuating his long, tapered fingers. The material was loose at the chest, exposing his pallid throat.

"You're drooling," Wufei said smugly, breaking through my daze.

I narrowed my eyes at the obnoxious male but, after rolling my eyes, didn't bother to respond. It was obvious I'd been staring and nothing I could say would change that. Sometimes, it's better to just employ the tactics of distraction and move on. I cleared my throat loudly and glanced around, suddenly noticing that the club had become nearly full. The seats were occupied mainly by women; some just out for a night of fun and frolics, others seriously interested in seeing some nudity. Yeuch. I turned to Relena, frowning slightly.

"Is there some place more private we can talk to him?" I asked, trying to focus on her not the stage.

"Once Mr Yuy has introduced the show, we will be able to find somewhere more quiet. I don't think we will have a problem getting him to come with us—you already have his attention," she replied, hints of something like jealousy in her voice.

At that I turned my head to look at the stage and my breath caught in my throat. Heero was addressing the audience in a lilting, hypnotic voice but his intense eyes were focused on me alone. I swallowed nervously, averting my gaze and glancing at Wufei. He seemed to be amused by the events that were unfolding but underneath that, as ever, was wariness at our surroundings and preoccupation at what we were here to do. I guess that was the most important thing here, not the god—vampire, on the stage.

"How long will we have to wait?" Wufei asked, sounding a tad impatient.

Relena smiled. "Not long. Once Noin and Zechs are out, the show belongs to the strippers and Mr Yuy is done."

Who were they? I turned to look at the stage and promptly my jaw dropped. Two people had emerged from the curtain at the back of the stage and they looked like they had been born to be in this career path. The male of the two had sensuous long hair and a naughty smile that made me feel like a rabbit caught in the headlights, and the woman looked as though she was the type who enjoyed spanking, whipping and any other form of sadomasochism. Heero had long since bowed and retreated back through the curtain but it was hard to take my eyes off them. Finally I did, looking back over to our group, and froze. Standing behind Relena with a pale hand caressing up and down her bare arm was none other than Heero, smiling wickedly.


	8. Chapter Eight

My heart hammered away in my chest, pounding away so furiously that I was sure everyone around us could hear it. Heero could, at least—no doubt he was listening to the blood being pumped extra fast around my body, thinking about dinner. The thought was almost enough to make me shudder but I controlled the reaction, not taking my eyes of the vampire just in case he decided to exact some revenge after the whole trying to kill him thing.

"Well it is good to see you again," he said finally, hand still lightly rubbing Relena's arm. "Especially in better circumstances than the last time we met, non?"

That dangerous smile widened slightly and I found myself even more nervous. It's one thing to just be in the company of vamps, as that's scary enough sometimes, but when they start grinning you know it can't be good. The ominous glint of fangs just showing between his lips made me want to head for the hills. Before I could summon up a gem of wit with which to reply, the lights abruptly went out. Murmurs and surprised shrieks greeted this new turn but they weren't really scared sounds; instead they sounded expectant and excited. God help me.

Well, they might not have been fussed but I was not keen on being trapped in the dark with a room of vampires. I began to stand automatically, hand going for the knife hidden inside my jacket but then strong hands grabbed my shoulders and pressed me back down into the chair. It was gentle in comparison to the brute strength I knew those hands could display but still, my heart leapt right up into my throat at the contact.

"Do not disrupt the show." Heero whispered into my ear, lips brushing me as he was so close. I shivered slightly at his proximity and was rewarded with a low, sensual chuckle that I knew was so soft that nobody else at the table would have heard. The sound caressed down my body like a touch and suddenly I was wishing I'd just stayed at home.

I heard Wufei clear his throat loudly and Heero straightened, keeping his hands on my shoulder. "You wanted to speak to me?"

Spotlights on the stage suddenly flashed on and began a display of sporadic strobe lighting that made my head hurt. Each time the stage was illuminated, I could just make out the figures on the stage. The show was finally beginning and the excitement in the room was palpable, making me feel hideously uncomfortable.

"Mm-huh," I whispered, not sure where to place my attention; the stage and Heero both seemed dangerous options.

"Voulez-vous observer l'exposition, mon petit, ou devons-nous aller quelque plus privé?"

Was it just me, or had that all been in French?

"…What?" I asked, turning slightly in the chair to stare up at the male. I could make out his face each time there was a flash of light and his expression was slightly strained, though I didn't know why. That in itself was alarming. Then he cleared his throat, sounding almost embarrassed.

"I apologise. The lust in the room is very… distracting," he explained, one finger lightly rubbing the back of my neck and making me shiver once more. "I asked if you would rather stay and watch the show or go somewhere more private for our discussion."

Ah. I glanced at Wufei. Obviously being in a private area with Heero wasn't too desirable, given the previous night's activities but we couldn't talk out here. There were just too many people seated around us.

"Where did you have in mind?" Wufei asked finally. Every time his face was lit up, it seemed very serious and sombre but his attention was fixed now on the stage. I turned to see what was so interesting and nearly gasped.

The guy with the long hair was still there but now I couldn't take my eyes off him. The spotlights emphasised his cerulean blue eyes and his hair which seemed like strands of silk woven together to create a luxurious blonde curtain down his back. His upper torso was clad in a black t-shirt that had been slashed practically to pieces and the lower half consisted of black leather shorts that were so tight it was clear he wore nothing underneath him. Gulp. Long leather boots adorned with buckles, straps and small loops of metal and glove-clad hands gripping a pair of handcuffs completed the outfit.

The other occupant of the stage was a female with short hair that was slightly reminiscent of Trowa's style. The bangs on one side were heavy and partially covered her eye, while the rest of the hair was boyishly short. It was a dark plum colour and seemed unnaturally shiny under the sporadic lighting. All the woman wore was a bra under a black mesh top which accented her curves and made her pale fresh stand out all the more. Her gleaming skirt that was more likely PVC than leather was adorned with various belts and she too wore boots. The item of choice in this case, though, was a whip.

I swallowed, tearing my eyes away and focusing back on our table. Wufei seemed equally uncomfortable but he was doing a better show of hiding it, brows furrowed in a frown that seemed to be his default expression a lot lately.

"Milliardo and Lucrezia are quite the duo, are they not… Duo?" Heero's voice was heavy with amusement at the pun in his words, though I failed to see the funny side really. That's why you don't see any vampires as stand-up comedians—they're just not fucking funny. That's what you get for being dead I guess.

"Can we just get out of here?" I said suddenly, wincing slightly at how panicked that had sound. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Wufei nodding his agreement and Relena smiling; while I was sure the former just wanted to get the hell out of there, it was likely that the female was looking forward to private time with the vampire.

"Very well," Heero answered, glancing towards the stage before stepping away from the table and heading off towards a door at the side of the large room.

With no encouragement necessary, Wufei leapt up out of the chair and hurried after him, clearly eager to get away. Relena and I shared a vaguely amused look then both followed. As I was moving to close the door, I gave one last glance to the action. The man was crawling into the lap of an audience member, both hands shackled and various dollar bills stuffed down his shorts, while the other performer was cracking the whip ominously as she began her descent from the stage. I gulped then forced myself to shut the door, trying to remove the images from my head before they traumatised me for life.

Entering the small room, I wrinkled my nose. Wufei was sat on the only couch, looking uncomfortable with Heero perched on the arm next to him. Relena stood leaning against the opposite wall, still smiling like a post-lobotomy patient in a hospital. It was a bit cramped for my liking—God only knows how I like my space when vampires are about—but I guess it would have to do.

"What took you?" My Chinese partner asked, frowning again as I threw myself down next to him.

Having no suitable answer, I just stared blankly at him. When all else fails: deny, deny, deny! He didn't pursue the issue but my happy bubble at surviving embarrassment was popped abruptly as I caught the vampire smiling down at me. His eyes were dark and I recognised the look in them from the previous night, and I definitely didn't want him looking at me that way right now. I'm feeling kinda fragile, okay?! Without thinking, I made a childish face at Heero and the look faded into amusement.

"You were enjoying the show, non?"

Oooh asshole. He just _had _to point that out for everyone who hadn't noticed.

"As if," I retorted with a growl, crossing my arms over my chest.

Urgh. This was going to be a long night.


	9. Chapter Nine

As Heero and Wufei began to discuss things that I probably should have been listening to, I allowed myself to zone out of the conversation and drift into my own little world. I'd not had a lot of time to myself lately so it was a welcome chance to just sit and think for a bit. Sitting on the couch next to Wufei while in the presence of a junkie and a vamp might not have seemed at first glance like the best circumstances for some serious thinking but you'd be surprised what you can accomplish with a little determination.

The main problem in my life right now seemed to be Heero, or rather how I acted around him. I had gone from hating these corpses with a passion to helplessly fantasising about the blue-eyed vamp in the space of one day. Thinking logically—not always my strong point, I know—it just didn't make sense. Even embarrassing but uncontrollable physical attraction could not explain such a turnaround. Was foul play afoot here, or was I simply just realising new things about myself?

My train of thought was disturbed by the feeling of eyes on me. Looking up suddenly with irritation spiking within me, I found Heero's intense gaze focused on me as he continued to talk to Wufei in that smooth, soothing voice. I narrowed my eyes at the centre of my confusion then looked down at the floor, willing him to look away so that I could get back to pondering the meaning of life.

Finally feeling the lift of his stare, I relaxed.

It's not impossible for vampires to control the emotions and feelings of their victims. I've seen it done—a bit reminiscent of Stockholm Syndrome with a scary twist. Just a glance into their eyes without the proper mental walls up can leave you vulnerable to their mind control tactics and BAM, you find yourself wanting to leap into their arms. As much as I hated to even conceive that I may have put myself into this awkward situation, it seemed like my previous… interactions with the vampire could have put me at risk for such problems. He could've been increasing my attraction to him so that I would be easier to manipulate, or molest, or for a whole host of reasons actually. Fucking vampires.

"If you hadn't noticed Maxwell, this talk is supposed to include you," Wufei announced loudly, cutting into my thoughts and making me glare up at him.

"You were handling it perfectly without me!" I retorted sharply, watching as the Chinese male's eyes began to resemble dark storm clouds. I could almost picture the lightning flashing in those shadowy depths as he lost his temper and prepared to yell at me.

Heero cut smoothly in, rescuing me with a smooth, practised smile. "Mon ami, we were just discussing the Master of the City and what exactly you would like to accomplish regarding him," he said, pausing to contemplate his next words. "However I am still confused as to the purpose of your visit, I confess."

Suppressing a sigh of relief, I nodded, careful to not look at Wufei who still seemed like he would explode at any moment. After a deep breath, I switched to what my partner liked to refer to as my 'military mode'—on the rare occasion that I took anything seriously.

"As you know, we weren't at the party just for the good company. We were there on business." I shot a sideways look at Relena, who wisely took the hint and turned away to give us the illusion of privacy, then continued. "We're hunters, licensed to execute rogue or troublesome vampires once we've got the orders to do so from the government. Our bosses sent us the heads up that your little shindig would be hosting a lot of vampires we'd like to getour hands on for questioning and… other things."

"The Master of the City is the most important one," Wufei cut in, having regaining his calm and composed exterior. "We need information about him so we can finally pin him down and what better way than to go through the minions? Uh, I mean, you, Heero. And of course Duo was desperate to talk to you so I couldn't say no to his begging."

The last words were accompanied with a charming smile but I knew he was laughing maniacally on the inside at the chance to embarrass me. I scowled at him then formulated a reply as Heero gave me a very sensual smile. Nobody, and I meant nobody, has the permission to mock the Shinigami. Nobody. As in, not Wufei or anyone else for that matter. Ever!

"It was either you or Trowa," I addressed to Heero, smiling sweetly myself now, "and to be honest I just don't trust Wufei around him. The guy's infatuated, you know? You never know what me might so. So we came to you for the sake of our personal safety." Oh yeah, I'm smooth. "Seeing as nobody has any infatuations regarding you," I added quickly, trying to stomp over any possible damage that Wufei might have caused.

Speak of the black-haired dude, he was now positively seething. I sent him a delighted look, pleased that I had managed to pierce his thick skin for once. But my, what a response to my claims! Perhaps there was truth there? Or maybe he was just pissed at the thought of anyone believing he might have been attracted to one of the undead and a male no less. Either way, he wasn't happy.

"Right," Heero murmured, looking torn between amusement and condemnation at our childish antics. He settled with an arrogant smirk. "I could always arrange a meeting with Trowa and Quatre, if you would like?"

The vampire's tone was neutral and he said the words innocently but I could tell that he was just trying to provoke Wufei like I was. Eh, maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"No, I would _not _like that! I would like to finish this stupid talk so I can get out of this stupid room in this stupid club and go home!" Overuse of the word stupid, much?

I smirked at him but nodded nonetheless. "We have gotta hurry this up—I have places to be, people to meet, lots of exciting things to do. I'm a busy man."

"You're not convincing anyone that you actually have a life."

Heero spoke before I could reply, once more avoiding an argument. "And what will I get in return? Or do you think I will risk death as a traitor for nothing? Providing information on the Master is no laughing matter. I must know your intentions and, of course, my reward. If there is no reward, I will not help, I think."

"You can have Duo for a whole night and he'll do anything you want. Anything at all."

"EXCUSE ME?!" I roared, jumping to my feet and stabbing a finger in Wufei's direction. "He most certainly will not have me for the whole night!"

"Joking, shorty."

"Better be," I muttered, eyeing the male mutinously as I sat back down.

Heero was smirking again. "Something along those lines would do me fine."

Wufei's confident expression faltered then while I gaped at the vampire, suddenly remembering that you should never bargain with the undead. Their demands generally end up being impossible, disgusting or kinky—all three, if you're that unlucky. Either way, that sort of reward was not going to happen and if he couldn't think up anything else that he wanted, we were in trouble.

"What do you intend to do with the information I give you?"

Wufei and I exchanged a glance.

"Your Master has been brought up on many charges but he always escapes unscathed. Evidence goes missing, victims disappear and anyone who could help send him down decides at the last minute that they don't want to help. The charges warrant execution but any attempts at getting him have been unsuccessful so far," Wufei explained, crossing his legs and tapping a foot rhythmically in the air.

"You figure out what we want to do to him," I added with raised eyebrows.

Heero watched me intently and I could almost see the cogs turning in his head. He was thinking hard about something but I didn't know what, and he didn't seem inclined to share.

Eventually, he spoke with a charming smile, clasping pale hands together in his lap. "Tel me what I will get out of this and I will give you any information you want."

A sudden knock at the door made me jump and I frowned deeply as Heero narrowed his eyes then signalled at Relena to go get the door. I had forgotten that she was there as she'd just been sitting quietly minding her own business. The honey-haired girl headed to the door and opened it cautiously, peering at the person standing behind it. The realisation of who it was made her frown openly.

"What do you want?" Relena asked suspiciously, eyeing the visitor with wariness.

I couldn't see clearly who it was so I craned my head back, stretching my neck to a painful degree to get the doorway in view. I caught sight of a girl with long blonde hair, cold blue eyes and strangely forked eyebrows that were in dire need of a visit to the beautician. This person was not a familiar face and that put my guard up immediately.

"Can Heero come out to play?" The newcomer asked in a singsong voice, lips curled into an unpleasant smile.

Relena glanced back into the room at the aforementioned vampire, who was now looking incredibly tense. She looked at the girl and shook her head slightly. "He's busy right now."

"Aw, did you hear that? He's busy!"

Who the hell was she talking to?

"I'm sure I can change his mind," a second voice replied and my heart stopped. I remembered that voice. As the person moved the blonde out of the way and stepped into the room, it became clear why Heero was acting like someone was pointing a gun loaded with bullets of pure sunlight at him.

"Treize," he breathed with venom, hands clenched at his sides as he stepped forward and narrowed his eyes dangerously. But through the anger I could see fear as clear as the light of day. He was afraid, incredibly so. That was not a comforting thought by any means.


	10. Chapter Ten

"Heero," Treize replied derisively, mocking the other vampire's monosyllabic statement. "Are you sure you don't have some time for me?" he added with unnerving politeness, smiling at the other male as though they were the best of friends. Bullshit to that.

"I'm sure." Heero replied in clipped tone, conveying in that short reply both dislike and fear for the seemingly mild-mannered man. All traces of the playfulness and amusement that had been present just minutes before had vanished from his voice, leaving an audible strain.

Treize's cold blue eyes hardened and his lips pursed in a display of growing anger. "Come with me now," he commanded in a low, threatening voice, attention focused on the azure depths of Heero's eyes.

The vampire's face twisted into disgust but he moved forwards and, after just the briefest of glances my way, left the room with the man. One they had disappeared from view, Relena let her breath out then whirled on the blonde still lingering at the door. The normally calm, composed girl looked angry and upset, and it seemed to be directed at the Master's companion.

"Shouldn't you be going Dorothy?" Relena asked, a look of anger passing over her face before she continued with venom-laced words. "Treize won't be happy without his faithful dog by his side."

The girl, now identified to be 'Dorothy', narrowed her eyes and shot the girl a cold look. Then, faster than I could track, her hand flung out suddenly and sent Relena flying into the wall. The impact was noisy and she crumpled to the floor in a broken heap, already bleeding slightly from the head. My mouth hung open like I was trying to catch flies as Dorothy smirked at me then walked out of the room, leaving Wufei and I alone with the junkie.

"What do we do?!" I asked after a few seconds of silence, turning expectantly to Wufei as if he held all the answers.

Wufei grimaced. "Our source of information is gone. I suggest we go before more supernatural nasties show up."

"I meant about Relena!" I hissed, amazed at his lack of comprehension.

The Chinese male spared a glance at the fallen girl then fixed me with a dark glare. "Since when is a vampire junkie our problem?"

"Since when did you stop caring about other people?" I questioned sullenly, staring hard at him as I crossed my arms over my chest. It had been an eventful few days, sure… but did that warrant such behaviour from him? God the world is screwy today.

"We don't have time for this."

I wrinkled my nose up and was about to launch into a tirade when suddenly I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. My hand went instinctively to my gun but then I realised that I didn't have one with me; no, Wufei had persuaded me to leave it at home after going on for a while about how the club wouldn't allow it. Oh, the one time I listen to him! I squinted at the newcomer then realised with a lurch in my stomach that it was the blonde stripper, still wearing those leather shorts.

"What happened to her?" The guy—Zechs, was it?—asked, kneeling down to Relena and brushing her hair out of her face. "Well?" He added, looking up at me with cold blue eyes. They were almost completely blank of emotion and so was his pale face; the only indication that he did indeed have any feelings was the way he pursed his lips with displeasure and let just the tiniest strain show in his clipped voice.

"A girl hit her. Dorothy." Wufei said slowly, watching the man carefully.

"Dorothy?" An angry scowl darkened the blonde's face for a fleeting second but it was gone so quickly it was almost like I'd imagined it. He rose slowly with Relena in his arms, blood dripping from her face onto the nice leather of her shorts, then left the room without another word.

Wufei looked at me. "Now can we go?"

I ground my teeth, readying a reply, when once more someone deemed it appropriate to interrupt. Goddamnit, how hard is it to let a man speak once in a while?!

"You're in such a hurry to leave… Not feeling comfortable amongst us freaks?" The person chimed in, making us jump as he stuck his head in. It was Quatre, his expression open and relaxed. "You should try to relax, Wufei. You'll not come to any harm here. Everyone's safe within these walls."

Wufei snorted disdainfully. "You tell that to Dorothy."

At the name, Quatre's face twisted into disgust just for the briefest of moments, then he was back to his sunny self. "I see. Well, you're going to have to stop being scared of us sooner or later or your emotions will control you. And you should learn to trust a little more. It wouldn't kill you."

I glanced between the two males, wondering what the hell was happening. Wufei was now looking taken aback, as though the blond had read his thoughts somehow. The shock faded to anger and I suddenly became aware that something bad was brewing.

"I can't read your thoughts, Duo." Quatre said softly, glancing at me.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

He smiled. "I can read your emotions. From that, I can figure it out. You're like an open book." There was a pause, then he cocked his head cutely. "Anyway, what are you both doing here?"

"We had to talk to Heero," I replied wearily, folding my arms across my chest and hugging myself slightly.

"Heero's here? Oh, I've gotta go then. See you Duo, Wufei!" And with that he disappeared, running off to presumably find the vampire.

Wufei turned to stare at me, frowning. "Are we leaving now or would you rather prefer to stay even longer and attract yet more attention?"

"Fine, fine. But I want a drink first. I don't think I can survive this without one." I answered, glad when my partner nodded resignedly then headed out of the room and towards the bar. I noticed vaguely that the show was over as I sat down on a stool, observing those who lingered with the clear intent of getting drunk or just glimpsing something supernatural so that they could brag to their friends about it later. Typical fucking tourists.

As Wufei did a careful sweep of the area to scout for vampires, I thought for a moment and then sighed. When the barman came over, I ordered a glass of water. That earned me a surprised look from the Chinese man sitting next to me, who seemed to find it unbelievable that I would forego alcohol.

"Water?"

"It's better for the brain," I shrugged, tracing my finger around the rim of the glass that had been set down in front of me. It might not have been as satisfying as a beer but at least I wouldn't have to deal with the effects. God only knows how fucked up I've been acting sober, let alone with alcohol introduced to the mix.

"Sure it is," Wufei smirked at me.

"Duo!"

A loud voice made me jump and turn quickly in the chair, slopping my glass of water as I saw Trowa striding purposefully towards me with anger painted across his pale features. For a moment I was scared that he was going to attack me because the depth of emotion in those green eyes and the anger radiating from his body was so great but then he halted next to me, vampiric energy prickling uncomfortably along my skin. An angry vampire is never a good thing.

"They took Quatre!"

I blinked confusedly. "What? Who took him? Where did they go?"

"Treize and that—that—" he trailed off, biting back anger. "Dorothy. His pet. Heero was there too when they took Quatre. Do you know what's going on?"

"I—" My mouth had barely emitted the first syllable when he cut in.

"We have to go get Quatre!" Trowa exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders with more force than was necessary.

I stared wordlessly at the vampire, trying to think what I could possibly say as I was suddenly pulled out of the chair and he began to tug me in the general direction of the door. Wufei hurried to catch up, lips quirked into a small smirk as though he was amused but wary too. I grabbed the hand on my arm, trying fruitlessly to shift his iron grip and digging my heels in.

"Trowa, Trowa, wait!" I declared, finally getting him to pause. "This has nothing to do with me! Besides, I can't help. I'm just a human, remember?"

Trowa frowned at me. "You're the Executioner, of course you can help," he answered, expression starting to show the fear he felt. "Please, Duo. You don't know the things Treize does for fun. You don't know what he does to make sure people do what he says."

I felt ashamed suddenly for not wanting to help, though I knew I shouldn't have, and I patted the brunette's shoulder awkwardly. "I'll dow hat I can."

"Thank you," Trowa said with relief, bowing his head to me as we continued outside.

Cold wind battered us as we stood outside Guilty Pleasures and my hair whirled around madly, the tight braid flailing like a whip. This was definitely not my kind of weather. I pulled my leather coat tighter around me, trying to fend off the wind as I rubbed my hands together. While I was attempting to regain a little warmth, it seemed the other two had entered a staring competition.

"Don't think this is your chance to get rid of the Master, I just want Quatre back." Trowa directed at Wufei, eyes narrowed. "You have no idea of the kind of firepower he boasts. If you want Heero back to pump him for more info, you'll play by our rules."

"I'll do what I want, vampire!" Wufei responded with a glare, clenching his fists.

In an attempt to distract the two from their impending fisticuffs, I intervened. "Where exactly will they have taken Quatre?" I

"To his lair."

"Elaborate." I said with a twitch, feeling a vein begin to pulse in my forehead. If I'd thought it was going to be a long night a few hours ago, it seemed endless now. Here I am stuck with a moody vampire and a sulking human, about to go say hi to the Master of the City. Great, maybe he'll make some tea?

"Treize resides at the Circus of the Damned. His rooms are underground… You know the Circus, right?"

"Yeah," I said with a light sigh, shaking my head. Why did it have to be there?! I hate circuses and I hate clowns, in fact I hate all the associated circus bullshit. Don't get me wrong—I'm not afraid of them or anything, I just don't like them. Who does? They're fucking weird. People who make balloon animals for a living and have big red noses are just disturbed. And why can't they find pants or shoes that actually fit? Everyone else manages.

"I will take you there down to his chambers but I will not go any further. I do not want to go anywhere near Treize if I can help it," Trowa said quietly, looking sad and little like a lost child.

"That's fine… I guess. But we're not going there like this, that would be crazy. I don't even have a gun on me, you think I'm going to forefully take someone from a Master vampire unarmed?"

The vampire nodded, looking thoughtful. "My driver will take us wherever you need to go but we must hurry."

I nodded, feeling myself fill with some sort of sadistic pleasure as a dark smile lit up my face. I had decided on the perfect location to get suited and booted. Wufei spared me a glance and his eyes widened slightly; he had just worked out who I wanted to go see. His eyes told me to forget it but I knew that he had no alternative. Where else would we get the appropriate firepower?

"Where are we going, Duo?" Trowa asked, eyes scanning the darkness around us as he awaited my reply.

I smiled grimly. "To see Death."


	11. Chapter Eleven

"Who is Death?" Trowa asked after silence reigned for a few moments, his dark green eyes surveying me cautiously in the dimness of the outside of Guilty Pleasures. Clearly he wasn't completely happy with the idea of trusting any of the contacts of a pair of vampire hunters but, really, he wasn't in any position to argue. We were doing him a favour after all and risking our own necks in the process—and I happen to value my neck!

"Oh, I can't tell you that," I said mysteriously, feeling smug that for once I was the one with the information. "I can show you Death… but I can't give you any names."

Sounds stupid but that's how it goes. If I disclosed any other details to Trowa or anyone else for that matter, I'd most likely land myself in some deep shit. You don't discuss Death in detail unless you've been given permission to do so, no matter who you are. Don't get me wrong, I'm not scared of the consequences or anything, I just have some respect for the guy and his methods of getting things done. He's powerful in this world.

Wufei was staring at me, looking just a tad nervous. "Is this absolutely necessary?"

"Why, Wufei, if I didn't know you better I'd say you were scared about popping by to say hello. You're not, are you?"

The Chinese male growled in response. "Of course not! Don't be ridiculous. I am merely saying that it's going to be complicated to sort out. You know that! We don't want to owe him anything. All we need to do is go in and get Quatre from the Circus, then get out again. Death doesn't come into the equation!"

"What, you'd rather go say hey to the Master of the City without any firepower?" I asked, incredulous that he was being this stubborn. It was stupid. Death would make our task so much easier to get through, whether it caused problems for us afterwards or not.

Wufei drew himself up, looking irritated, and huffed at me. "He is just a vampire!"

Just a vampire? Who the hell was he trying to kid? You have to take these guys seriously; underestimating them is a dangerous mistake. We'd made that nearly fatal error last year and I'd been in the hospital for a rather long stay. If we just skipped off to visit Treize without even thinking about what we were doing, then at least one of us would end up dead.

"Either you're very brave, or very stupid. Look—Trowa and I are going to see Death before we head to the Circus. You can stop being so chicken shit and come with us, or you can go ahead on your own! Which would you prefer, Wu?"

My partner pursed his lips together with an expression of displeasure, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's your funeral."

I turned to Trowa as a sleek black limousine drew up beside us, squinting at the male illuminated by the pale light from a streetlamp above us. He motioned me over, patting the top of the vehicle. "As I said, my driver will take us wherever you wish to go. But I must insist that we hurry… You've wasted enough time already with your bickering.

"Fine," Wufei snapped at the vampire, scowling as he got into the car and moved as far away from both of us as possible.

"Nice wheels." I said appraisingly, sliding in after the Chinese man and checking out the interior. It was all made out in sleek black leather; soft to the touch and very comfortable to sit on. I settled back into the seat, stretching my legs out in the spacious gap and did up my seatbelt as the vampire got in and shut the door behind him.

"My superiors are generous."

"I see."

After muttering something to the driver, Trowa turned his attention back to us. "I need directions."

"You know Holland Park?"

The vampire paused for a moment, thinking, then nodded at me.

"Get your man to drive us there and then we can walk the rest of the way."

The only reply was a curt nod—nervous vamps are so cranky—and then he passed on those instructions to the driver in a whisper. Trowa then settled back against the leather seat, eyes looking dark and sullen as he stared out the window. Typical. Wufei was sulking because we weren't doing what he wanted to do and now the vampire had turned sulky because, assumedly, we weren't doing exactly what he wanted either. Idiots. I could tell it was going to be a long, boring drive with them both acting like this so I closed my eyes and stuck my hands behind my head, intending on blocking out everything around me until the others had stopped being immature or had something important to discuss, whichever came first.

---

"Duo, we're here."

Wufei's voice and a sharp poke to my shoulder forced me to open my eyes, watching as the two other occupants of the limousine clambered out of the vehicle into the darkness. I followed slowly, shivering at the sudden change in temperature as I descended into cold night air. We were at Holland Park now and the tall trees all around obscured the moon from casting its light upon us. Shadows dominated the expanse of grass and plants so I was glad we didn't actually have to go into the park. These places are bad enough during the day, let alone at night when it's this dark.

"Where now?" Trowa asked, sticking his hands in his pockets and staring at me.

"Just follow me."

---

"This is it?" Trowa asked as we stopped outside a tall, dark building.

"Well we wouldn't have stopped if it wasn't!" Wufei snapped irritably, obviously still unhappy with what we were about to do—or, rather, who we were about to see. I suspected that if his arms hadn't been folded sulkily across his chest, he would have been wringing his hands nervously. Strange how a prospective visit with Death tends to scare people.

I nodded, gazing up at the building. "Yep, we're here."

I headed forwards, pushing open the large set of doors and moving towards the ancient looking lift. Stepping inside, I waited for the others to join me before jabbing the button for floor 9. The lift lurched slightly, its hinges creaking loudly, and then began to move upwards with a low hum. I stayed standing by the doors, hands clasped in front of me, until it shuddered to a stop and the doors slid open. Moving out, I walked quickly down a corridor, passing countless doors until I finally came to a stop in front of one with the number '42' engraved into it.

I sent a look back, smiling at the way Wufei was lingering behind Trowa, like he was hiding. "This is it."

After rapping loudly on the door three times, I waited in silence until it creaked slowly open. Spooky. Entering the room en masse, the first thing that drew my attention was what seemed like cat's eyes gleaming in the dim light. They reminded me somewhat of Trowa's own moss green eyes as the vampire shut the door behind him with a click. The small circle of light coming from the flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling shone upon a curtain of golden hair as Death moved out of the shadows, his white teeth gleaming in a rather predatory smile.

"Executioner," Death said simply, tilting his head at us. "What brings the mouse to the cat's lair?"

I thought my response over in my head for a moment—well, there's a first time for everything I suppose—and then flashed a grin at the other man. "Well, the mouse can't go to the party without a piece, so maybe the cat can fix him up with some toys?"

Trowa looked vaguely mystified at the way we were talking but he wisely kept it to himself, instead staring cautiously at Death.

"Three blind mice…" he said, cat-like eyes flicking from each of us and finally settling on an uneasy Trowa. "Mice with fangs."

"So can you help?" I asked finally, glancing sideways at the motionless vampire beside me. "We're going after the big one this time."

Death cocked his head at that revelation, looking thoughtful. "Now Executioner, why would you be going after the Master? Blind mice you are indeed." His pupils had contracted so that they were only tiny pinpoints of darkness in the middle of all that green, a gleaming emerald shade that seemed to almost glow in the light from the bulb above. "Are you looking for some beasties or a few toys?"

Something moved in the darkness behind Death, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but I quelled my unease and turned my attention back to the man before me. "I don't work with shifters," I said with a frown.

"But you work with vampires… Here I was thinking that wereanimals were the lesser evil in your eyes," Death replied, focusing on Trowa once again. The vampire was remarkably stiff, tension showing through right from the hairs on his head to the tips of his toes.

I grimaced. There was no way I could explain why I was running around with a vampire to go after the Master, nor why I would draw a line between the species. It was true, I guess… vampires were the big nasties in this world. But at least they knew they were. Wereanimals masqueraded as normal people to the best of their ability. That was wrong. What scared me the most was that it didn't even feel weird hanging around with a vampire now, it just felt like normal business.

"Well, you know how it is. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"


	12. Chapter Twelve

It became evident after about five minutes of debating over what exactly he was going to lend us that you don't argue with Death, however much you might disagree with his intentions. If he wants to do it one way, you do it or you go seek help from another badass if you can find one. Seeing as this guy was the baddest of the bad, I decided to accept his most generous offer of shapeshifter help after deciding there was no way around it. The idea of working with animals sent uncomfortable prickles down my spine but if I had stooped as low as to help a vampire out, I might as well go the whole way. Besides, if it meant there was less chance of me being killed by one pissed of Master of the City, then I was all for adding to our numbers.

"Three blind mice. Five hunting dogs. Two wild cats." Death remarked, turning his head slightly and staring off into the shadows. There was a slight shift in the darkness, as though someone or something had been lurking there but had now moved. That made me nervous—when someone is deliberately keeping themselves from view, it means they've got something to hide. Not a happy thought. "It is done, Executioner. They will be waiting for you ouside."

Shoving aside my unhappy thoughts, I forced myself to smile. "You have my gratitude, Death…"

The man returned the smile, albeit in a rather more creepy fashion. "You may also have the pick of my personal arsenal."

I gaped at this display of generosity, wondering what had prompted him to decide to help us so thoroughly. What did he think he was going to get out of this at the end? It was a worrying thought but I didn't have much time to contemplate the consequences of this move, as we were soon being beckoned through a dark doorway into the room beyond that housed enough weapons to satisfy even the most homicidal of maniacs. Perfect.

---

When the three of us finally emerged from the tall building, we looked a bit like an ensemble from an action film. I had a large, machete-like blade strapped to my back, though under the material of my coat so that it wouldn't arouse unwanted suspicion. To draw the swordlike weapon, all I had to do was grab the hilt hidden under my hair and whip it out… though I'd also have to take care not to stab myself in the process. I also had the old reliable 9mm Browning Hi-Power tucked into a holster at my right thigh, as well as another small pistol tucked under my jacket for backup. I didn't take the time to look at what the others had taken, though I imagined that Wufei probably had guns stuffed up all sorts of places to keep them hidden and Trowa probably didn't need any weapons at all. Vampires had that super strength thing going for them, after all.

Movement from the darkness at the side of the building made me jump violently and I was halfway through drawing the Browning when I suddenly remembered what Death had said. They would meet us outside, whoever they were. I reluctantly removed my hand from the smooth metal of the gun, against my well trained instincts, though I kept it hovering nearby just in case these guys decided we looked nicer to eat than work with.

The first to come into the dim glow of the street light was revealed to be a woman who didn't look much taller than me—that's quite short, if you didn't know—with deep blue eyes that shone almost purple in the faint light. Her dark hair was cut boyishly short but she still had an air of femininity about her as she came towards us. The most intimidating thing about the woman was that, although she looked fragile, power pulsed out of her like electricity, running over my skin in almost painful prickles. She was putting on a show for our benefit—it wasn't necessary though, I was wary enough of shapeshifters without needing them to thrust their power in my face.

"You are the ones we will be helping?" The woman asked, placing both hands on her jean-clad hips. For a lycanthrope of such power, she was dressed pretty normally; just jeans and a baggy sweater. It didn't seem appropriate clothing for someone who transformed into a deadly beast every so often. "I am Hilde. Hilde Schbeiker."

I inclined my head in acknowledgment, not sure how I was supposed to greet her. Shaking her head seemed like the natural thing to me buy I'd seen shapeshifters engaging in some pretty strange greeting behaviour before so I didn't want to make the wrong move and piss her off before we'd even begun properly.

"Duo Maxwell." I offered, folding my arms over my chest and tensing my biceps slightly. I might not have been built like Superman but I could still get the job done when I wanted to. "This is Wufei Chang and… Trowa."

The woman's eyes flicked to focus on the latter and suddenly narrowed. Her power surged to painful levels once more as her lips were pulled back into a dog-like snarl, eliciting whimpers and whines from some of the shifters still hidden in the shadows. I got an image in my head of a dog with their hackles raised… I guess wereanimals and vampire don't get along that well, though Trowa and Quatre were obviously buddy-buddy. Sex helps, I suppose.

"Look, lady. I trust him about as much as I trust you but if you're going to help us, you need to get the hell over whatever problem you have and calm down." I could hardly breathe from the power throbbing over me so my words were strained.

Hilde's eyes now shone like gold with tiny little pupils and as she smiled, her teeth were pointed like the fangs of a wolf. I swallowed but stood my ground, keeping my eyes hard. Big, bad, hard-as-nails slayers don't get scared by pointless shows of power from whiny little animals. Or if they do, they sure as hell don't show it.

"Very well…" Slowly, she regained that feminine softness but somehow the effect was ruined by what I had just seen. I knew that there was a beast lurking beneath the surface of those pretty blue eyes, one that would snatch me up and eat me like Little Red Riding Hood without even the slightest flicker of remorse. I felt queasy at the thought.

Once her power had toned down to a very low hum that just pricked the edges of my senses, other shapes began to emerge out of the shadows of the building and surrounding trees. I quashed the urge to get my gun out, as it was just habit by now to arm myself against lycanthropes, and watched as six people stood just behind her. What a motley crew. I forced myself to relax, glancing sideways at an equally uneasy Wufei.

From what I remembered of Death's earlier words, I presumed that five of the grand total of seven beasties were shifters of the canine variety. Wolves. The remaining two were little kitties with big sharp fangs, felines who most likely wouldn't be happy to roll around with a ball of yarn. The thought of working with this many made me feel sick to my stomach; I normally went out of my way to avoid contact with shapeshifters but it seemed like the things I didn't like just weren't to be avoided anymore. On the contrary, they were being shoved right in my face.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

My boundaries had been pushed a lot recently, given the large amount of time I'd spent hanging out with vampires and their flunkies but I definitely wasn't used to it yet. All of my instincts, everything that had kept me alive this far, were screaming to draw my gun and blast a path through to safety. Yet I knew that I had to stay calm, if I wanted to stay alive (we were too outnumbered to get very far) and be able to go rescue the damsel in distress, Quatre. I concentrated on looking neutral while the rest of the shapeshifters moved around to flank Hilde, watching the three of us with guarded eyes… though there was still an obvious air of dislike towards Trowa.

Hilde introduced the lycanthropes quickly, gesturing at each as she went through their names. "This is Sally, Otto, Sylvia, Nicol, Iria and Rashid…"

I focused intently on each of the group as they were introduced to us, matching the names to the faces in case they decided to turn on us later on. It would be much easier to hunt them down and destroy them afterwards if I knew their names. Not wanting to let them know that, though, I gave the courtesy of a nod to each so it wouldn't seem as though I was working out the most effective way to kill them. Wufei didn't bother masking his dislike, standing in a defensive position and scowling at the animals, and Trowa was the picture of stony indifference. He was better at hiding his emotions than the rest of us.

They didn't seem the type for small talk so I clapped my hands together in an attempt at enthusiasm, knowing that there was nothing left to procrastinate over. At least if I seemed eager to get started, maybe they would get along too without causing any problems. God only knew how I was going to keep control over all of them.

"Right, so… who's up for a trip to the Circus of the Damned?"

---

One long car journey later, which had felt cramped and uncomfortable even in the ample room provided by the limousine, we were finally at our end destination. I was quite happy to jump out of the vehicle almost before it had drawn to a halt, infinitely glad to be out in the open again. I looked up at the looming buildings before us and sighed heavily. People normally visited the Circus for a little light entertainment (if you didn't mind that the clowns had fangs) but this was not exactly my idea of a fun night out. It was a rescue mission but I wasn't sure who needed the help more; Quatre, who was most likely having the time of his life sexing up a bunch of vamps, or Wufei and I who were stuck with the fucking shapeshifters.

Once the group were all assembled in front of me, I faltered slightly. Should I have prepared a rousing speech to get the adrenaline flowing? Did we need a montage and dance routine? …Maybe not. A few words wouldn't go amiss though, I suppose, just in case they have no idea why they're actually here. Who knew if Death had informed them properly?

"I don't know how much you all actually know about what we're doing… but you're probably better off not knowing what we're planning. All you've got to do is concentrate on is making sure we don't die, and I'll handle the rest."

One of the group stepped forwards—Iria, if I remembered correctly—and stared at me with faintly angry blue eyes. Her shoulder-length blonde hair bounced as she moved, now glaring at Trowa as though he had mortally offended her. I narrowed my eyes as the girl squared up to the vampire, looking tiny next to the tall man but giving off waves of power. She was strong and pissed off, not a good combination.

"He is my brother." Iria hissed, glaring up at the vamp. "And if he is hurt in any way, I will hold you responsible."

I looked between the two, slightly confused. "Who's your brother?"

Iria didn't take her eyes off Trowa as she replied. "Quatre."

Ah. Well that made sense, I guess. Given the way vampires often treated wereanimals, it was understandable to see why she wasn't happy with the idea of her brother shacking up with one. This made matters slightly more complicated.

"Then that gives you more incentive to keep us alive, so we can get him out of there." I said carefully, not wanting to provoke the girl but also wanting to dissipate the issue so that we could get on with the task ahead.

After a quick glance around at the others, I cleared my throat loudly. "Let's go."

I was relying on Trowa to get us in safely, as I'd never really been to the Circus before and had no idea of the security the place boasted. It was not exactly high on my list of venues on a night out. The tall vampire took charge after I gestured at him, much to the apparent dislike of the shapeshifters. I kept an eye on Iria, wanting to make sure that she didn't try to start any shit with Trowa because of his relationship with her little brother. If there was one thing I wouldn't put up with, it was some stupid woman messing up our mission because she let her emotions get in the way. Not when our lives were on the line. The lanky man led us to a manhole in a more secluded part of the grounds which was almost hidden in the shadows. Great—not only do we have to challenge the Master of the City, we had to do it while we stank of sewer shit. Could this night get any worse?

"FUCK!" I screeched like a banshee as I missed my footing on the ladder down to the sewers and landed in a puddle of some foul-smelling liquid. I sat there until one of the werewolves, Sally, pulled me up and helped to get as much of the crap off as we could. Meanwhile, the others watched on with amusement—now there's a way to unite vampires, humans and werecreatures. Just fall on your ass and make a fool of yourself in front of them, and they have no problem joining together to laugh like hyenas.

I glared around at the others then signalled them onwards. "Shut up."

It took about ten minutes to follow the long, twisting path of sewers that stank to high hell before we finally emerged at a dead end. There was absolutely no way forwards from the thick, grime-coated concrete wall. I turned to question Trowa and then belatedly followed his gaze upwards to see another manhole. Ah. Well I suppose this beat knocking on the front door and asking nicely if we could have Quatre back.

The vampire glanced back at the animals behind before leaping straight upwards in a display of his vampiric power, slamming the top off and gliding through the opening in one foul swoop. So much for a subtle entrance. Pale light streamed down through the manhole, illuminating the motley crew in the sewer as we all made our way carefully up into the room above. I didn't want to slip and make a fool of myself again.

"What now?" I asked softly, taking the typically decorated room—lots of black and crimson—and noting with vague amusement the trail of muddy footprints from the sewer below.

I received no reply from the vampire so I looked over at him, annoyed, and noticed that he was even paler than usual. His green eyes shone like beacons and he stood tensely staring off into the distance, stiffening more and more as the seconds flew past.

"He knows we're here and I can feel him," Trowa breathed, as though it was a burden just to talk. "I said I would take you here and go no further… I've done that and I will walk no more."

Shit. I hate it when even the monsters are this scared. Was the Master really this bad? I remembered the uncomfortable feeling of being around him when he wasn't putting on a show of power, so maybe it was justified. But we had no way of actually getting through to Treize without a guide to lead us in the right direction and the extra firepower that a butt-kickin' vamp would lend was vital.

"You'll follow this through or I'll kill you where you stand," Iria spat harshly, glaring at the vampire with furious blue eyes. "You took Quatre away from us and I won't let you be responsible for his death now!"

There was silence for a moment as the vampire and the wereleopard stared at each other, each bristling with power and looking as though they would snap at any second. This was definitely not going to help our chances of surviving this night. If they would just cut the crap already…

"Look, Trowa," I started, putting my hands on my hips indignantly. "You wanted us to come and save him, and we can't do that without you. If you leave, we're going back with you."

If that didn't solve the problem, I didn't know what would.

The vampire switched his gaze from the shapeshifter to me, eyes slightly narrowed, and then he suddenly turned on his heel and headed off towards the doorway at the other side of the room, striding powerfully and not waiting for us to catch up.

"Follow me," he hissed, almost ripping the door off its hinges as he opened it and carried on moving.

---

After a while of walking through twisting corridors that were suspiciously empty, we arrived at a set of thick double doors. The dark wood that stopped us from going any further did nothing to mask the energy of the person behind them; I could feel that a mile off. I knew, at that moment, that we were about to come face to face with the Master of the City. Great. Just great. Why it had been so easy to get to him and why he wasn't putting up a fight of any kind I didn't know, but I was sure we'd find out soon one way or the other.

I glanced sideways at Trowa, who was looking stiff and just holding back his terror, then back at the shifters. "You ready?"

I received a variety of responses, ranging from mere stony silence from the ever delightful Wufei, to growls and grunts of the werecreatures. They were such interesting company. But clearly they could feel the power emanating from the room and were no more looking forward to this than I was. Hiled, the apparent leader of the bunch, nodded to me and that was it, really. I sighed, turning back to the door. Here we go.

In one swift motion, Wufei and I kicked the doors, sending them flying open with a loud crash. The group of us burst into the room, spreading out and taking in the surroundings quickly. That was when I noticed him.

Oh. Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit.

"HEERO!"

* * *

Kimiki – Hehe, well, good guess there. She is indeed a bitch. ;) And anyway, thank you for the compliment! I hope the rest of the shifters weren't too disappointing… there wasn't that many characters left to pick from! But there'll be more depth to them in the next chapter (14! Omg!) seeing as they'll have a bigger part to play. So I hope you enjoy what's to come! 

xXartemis phoenicianXx – Well thanks, I do try. Hopefully you found this one interesting too!

Queen of the Slash – Aw, thanks. Here's more for you! It wasn't as long as I'd hoped it would be but 14 is definitely gonna make up for that, I hope, as there'll be lots and lots of action. Maybe even some slashy lurve! Hehe. Hope you enjoyed it.

Angelofshadows123 – Me too! Especially vampire stories that involve those fabulous G-boys! I'm not a very good, consistent updater but I hope this chapter was satisfactory for you. Look out for the next one too.

Yasei Raiden – Yeah, a year… and I did it again! Oops. I promise there won't be that long between 13 and 14 though, it's already started and I know exactly what's gonna happen so there's no logical reason for it to be delayed that much. Anyway, thanks for the compliment! I'm trying to keep the characters realistic to the originals without making it too boring. It's hard to have normal 15-year-old boy types when you're delving into vampires and werewolves! And yeah… Heero does take some getting used to, haha. And happy reading, hope this one wasn't a disappointment!

Dazza – Thanks, I'm trying lol! I'll be churning out the chapters as fast as I can without taking the quality down too much, so hopefully there won't be too much waiting around after this. And yes, Anita Blake rocks hard.

Karrafear – Well, I died a little in between 12 and 13, haha, but I'm back for good now. No more long waits, in theory. Thank you so much for your comments, that's really nice of you to say! -pats her growing ego- I'll try and keep it coming a bit more regularly!

Luciferian – Aw, sorry if I made you cry… I'm just a lazy, lazy girl! Next chapter will be out much sooner though so put the tissues away for now. And I'm glad you're enjoying it.

RYN – Well, I can't say anything about happy endings at the moment (who knows!) but there'll be lots of gooey Duo/Heero action for you sometime! Thanks for your comments, I do aim to please haha, and I do try to not put my readers into a coma. I mean, that'd kinda suck, wouldn't it? I hope you didn't just die after reading chapter 10 because you need to keep reading, oooh, or you'll miss all the exciting action. I promise it'll be good, really.

Gundam06serenity – Haha, sorry, I procrastinated too much and never got around to it. I had loads of snippets in random notebooks about how I was gonna continue into chapter 13 but it took a while to actually get the time and dedication to do so. I hope you didn't give up while you were waiting! Chapter 14 should be along soon so hold on, it won't be this long again. I swear!

Two-Bit Wannabe – Thank you! That's so sweet. Dunno if it's perfect (especially how long I take to update) but I'm trying at least, hehe. And yeees, I tried to make Zechs sexy… he'll be getting some more action later so I hope you enjoy that. There's definitely more Duo/Heero on the way so stay tuned!

Rainystar186 – Oooh, well, it took a while but chapter 13 is here! And 14 will be out as soon as possible, which won't actually be that long. A few weeks at most. Hoorah! Lol. I hope you're still around to read this chapter, otherwise I'm sorry for the long wait.. even though you won't read this if you ARE gone! Oh well. Enjoy, if you're about.

BlackRain88 – Thanks! Hopefully you'll understand the situation with Trowa and the werecreatures a bit more after this chapter but there'll be more detail on that in the next, when we finally get to see Quatre again. Oooh, the anticipation.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Well, we've established by now that I am in fact retarded and don't seem to understand the concept of updating but hey, that's what fanfic writers are for! I apologise immensely for what has been nearly a year waiting for this chapter but hopefully it's worth it. That is, if I even have any readers left!

Wufei: I doubt it. You suck. Go home, loser.

Thanks. Well, here it is. Chapter 14! Responses to reviews are at the end, as always.

* * *

The sights I beheld in this one room were enough to turn my insides to ice and make it feel as though my heart had leapt into my throat suddenly. I could almost taste my pulse and hear the pounding as blood coursed around my body, trying to breathe life into my stiff limbs. My eyes were fixated on the Master, whose pale hand was wrapped firmly around the neck of Heero. Heero, who had always seemed so strong. Heero, who was now dangling in the air like a ragdoll. 

"So glad you could finally join us," Treize directed at me, accompanying each syllable spoken with a cruel squeeze of his hand. His face was lit up with a dark enthusiasm for what he was doing and his eyes were two glowing points of blue fire. "I didn't know it would take you this long to work up the courage, child. How I overestimated you."

As ever the faithful tool at his side, Dorothy chose that moment to let out an obnoxious laugh. The sound grated on my nerves like someone dragging their fingernails down a blackboard, making the hair stand on the back of my neck. The laugh was followed by a smug expression downwards at her captive, who suddenly drew my attention as I realised that it was Quatre. He was streaked with blood all over and his aquamarine eyes, normally full of life, were dull and glassy. His pained expression was the only thing that showed he wasn't dead. Jesus Christ on a pogo stick.

I could feel Trowa like a pulsating ball of energy next to me, almost exploding with the effort it took to not launch himself forwards and go rescue his beau from the clutches of the mad bitch. I respected his self-control and decided I would just have to exercise the same restraint, flicking my eyes back over to Treize with a cold expression.

"I don't want to fight." I stated in a voice completely lacking any emotion, staring intently at him. I couldn't look at Heero; my heart spasmed every time I did.

"Yes, I can see that from your weapons and furry escort," Treize retorted, the statement laced with both amusement and anger. How'd he manage that one? His pale fingers tightened, if possible, their grip and dug viciously into Heero's neck. "I have no time for you though, Executioner. Get out before you irritate me. I am dealing with my people and you do not need to be here."

To enforce that statement, there was a pause and I was suddenly airborne. Briefly experiencing the sensation of flying, I contemplated just how powerful this guy was as I impacted with the wall. Hard. There was a loud cracking sound and I didn't know if it was me or the wall but it hurt like fucking hell. I lay there for a moment in a crumpled pile, unable to do anything but stare at the scene unfolding before me. Heero's eyes were fixed on me, sad and seeming to communicate the words he was crying in my head.

_Please leave Duo. I don't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry. I love-_

Treize cut him off abruptly, slashing out with his free hand and then heaving Heero at the wall. Blood sprayed out from the vicious wound in his jugular and there was a sickening thud as the vampire lay still on the floor. The silence in my head where his voice had been moments ago was deafening. I was numb.

"I had such high hopes for Heero," the Master of the City growled, wiping his bloodstained hand distastefully on his handkerchief as though it pained him to have to touch the blood of one so unworthy. "He was like a son to me. Then he had to go and get ideas about being the Master in my place. The fool. He was never a match for me… and neither are you. So run along, slayer. Now."

"Yes, coward, leave before my Master shows you his true power," Dorothy said, laughing loudly again, like a hyena on crack. "Poor little Executioner can't take the big boys."

As if a switch had flicked on in my body, I regained control of my limbs. The pain faded into the background, swamped by the warmth of anger flooding through me. Never in my life had I been filled with such rage and abject hate for any individual. It spread from my body, fanning out in invisible waves, communicating my hostility and desire to see them both destroyed to everybody in the immediate vicinity.

BANG.

Before my mind had even contemplated it and been able to leak the thought to Treize, my hand had lifted up and aimed the gun at Dorothy's head. And before I could even register what I had done, I saw the neat hole in her forehead, almost perfectly central. Blood trickled out of the puncture, reminding me with some satisfaction that silver bullets did almost the same damage to werecreatures as normal ones did to humans. She had stood no chance against a direct hit like that. Her eyes were wide but empty, mouth forming a perfect 'o' of surprise as she tumbled sideways and landed on the floor with a thud. Dead.

Just like that, the room erupted into action.

After letting out an anguished cry of "DOROTHY!", Treize leapt at me with arms outstretched and hands like claws as his anger engulfed him. His lunge was halted by Hilde who had thrown herself at him and taken the Master completely off target. They flew through the air together, a blur of movement as the girl transformed into a monster and commenced ripping at the vampire with all she was worth. Another wolf launched itself into the pile and I lost sight of Treize under the mass of fur.

Meanwhile, Trowa had needed no encouragement to rush forwards and snatch Quatre up like he weighed nothing, cradling him against his chest like the shapeshifter was the most precious thing in his world. Probably he was. Moving like a locomotive, the green-eyed male ploughed through the vampires who had lunged to stop him, hitting out with both his body and his mind as he made his way to the door to deposit Quatre safely outside.

The rest of the wereanimals were engaging the remaining vampires who had been waiting like patient soldiers at the back of the room when we had entered. They were a mixture of ages and power levels but nothing to really worry me. Pulling myself up with the help of Wufei, who was savagely kicking anyone who got close, I was grabbing the shotgun strapped to my back when a presence pricked my senses. The power ran over my skin like an army of marching ants, leaving a trail of fire everywhere it had touched. Looking up, my eyes locked with a woman standing just a few metres across from me. With barely a flick of her wrist, she had sent everyone in her path (from both sides) flying out of the way.

A furry thing suddenly went soaring past me, hitting the wall hard as Treize rose and shrugged Hilde off easily. His eyes landed on the woman near me and he smiled. "Une, about time. These rats are ruining my party."

"I apologise, sir." The woman replied in a clipped tone, brown eyes still focused on me. Her dark chestnut hair was pulled up into Princess Leia-esque buns on the sides of her head, making her look somewhat like a German militant lesbian in my eyes. Her face would have been attractive if not for the harshness of her hair and the fact that she was a godforsaken fucking vampire. An old one, at that—not quite on the Treize scale of things but at least 700 years. This was just great, really it was. As if the Master of the City wasn't enough to deal with, we also had to take on his right hand woman. Life's a real bitch sometimes, ain't it?

Pulling my shotgun over my head and levelling it at Treize, I sighed. "Trust you to need a girl to help you. Asshole."

The first cartridge was plugged into his face. Not so pretty now, was he? The next blew a hold clear through his hand. The third impacted right in the chest. But it was like water off a duck's back—albeit a duck with a gaping hole in his face. It was strange to see Treize laugh when the skin was all peeled back and burned slightly on his cheek, exposing yellow teeth and a whole lot of singed tissue. Blood was spurting out like a grotesque fountain but he paid it no attention, instead lifting a hand up to examine the hole.

"Interesting." The Master stated, one slightly bloodshot eye pulsing. "I was thinking about trying a new look."

"Well you need one, you ugly sonovabitch. Frilly shirts went out in the 17th century." I added helpfully, glaring at him.

That seemed to anger him moreso than my other comments. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest thing to do but upsetting him was the only option that was available to me, as far as I could see anyway. He was most likely gonna kick my ass in the longrun so I might as well go down pissing him off. That was my one skill in life, after all, or so my teachers had always told me at school. Now while I had been focusing on Treize, Wufei had been a busy boy. While he wasn't much of a match to an ancient vamp, he'd been keeping her busy with an old trick. Having launched his cross (which I had always thought was excessively large but now seemed rather handy) at her, the so-called Une was batting her hands uselessly at the burning mass of metal on her chest. It was glowing painfully bright, sending out waves of heat as it singed through layers of skin. Fuck yeah.

In the blink of an eye, Treize had moved and wrapped his arms around me. The pressure was painful and there was no way in hell I was moving anytime soon. His face moved down close to mine and I could smell the burned skin. It was not a pleasant scent by any means, nor was it nice to look at up close. His supernatural skin had already started healing itself, knitting together the tissue and stopping the flow of blood but pus was leaking out and making his face a disgusting mess of fluids. It was grotesque and I gagged as he moved so close that his stagnant breath was warm on my face. I'd never seen or felt a vampire breathe before… it was bizarre.

"Foolish child," he whispered, gripping me even tighter. "You should have left when I told you to."

And just like that, he went in for the kill. Not like a nice gentleman vamp, no—he sank his yellow fangs into my shoulder and proceeded to shake me like a dog with a bone. His teeth ripped through the delicate skin, sending wave after wave of pain through me. It felt like the bone had splintered as he continued to savage me, all the while holding me perfectly still. Through the cloud of pain, my mind uselessly called out for help but there was no one to give it. They were all occupied in their own fights.

Just as my blood loss was beginning to grow too great for my body to take, suddenly the pressure was relieved and I fell to the ground with nothing to support me. I watched in wonder as Treize was first surrounded and then engulfed by a crowd of… of what the fuck? Rotting skin, dishevelled funeral clothes, not-so-pleasant odour… holy crap. I knew a zombie when I saw one, given that my powers as a necromancer had granted me the ability to raise them but I'd never seen so many in one place. Nor did I have any clue why they were here and attacking Treize. Still, no time to sweat the details. I had a job to do.

Heaving myself up, acutely aware that my left arm was hanging limp and useless, I moved to help Wufei. He had slowed Une down with slashes of his sword but she had disposed of the burning cross (helpfully throwing it through the air and hitting one of her own vamps) and there was nothing to stop her from advancing. Until, that is, a wolf with honey-coloured fur charged into her and brought her down. Ripping at the fallen vampire with ferocious, deadly fangs, the werewolf gave us ample time to sort her out. Wufei grabbed a bottle of holy water from the bag Death had handily supplied him with and emptied the contents over the undead woman, eliciting a howl of pain as her skin began to hiss and smoke. She shook the wolf off but it was too late; with deadly accuracy and a well trained eye, Wufei brought a wooden stake down and embedded it into her chest. That thrust alone wasn't enough to drive it in fully but with a few well aimed kicks, it was in place. Immediately she began to scream, a horrible high-pitched sound that grew more shrill with each passing moment, even as her body began to slow down. The harsh, jerky movements calmed until she collapsed against the floor, just a bag of bones with no 'life' left in them.

The zombies were still attacking en masse but Treize was ripping through them—literally. Limbs were flying disgustingly as the Master of the City wrenched hands from around his neck and pulled heads away from his skin. He emerged victorious finally but, as I felt the presence of a particularly strong vampire behind me, suddenly went soaring backwards. Pinned against the wall by the force of presumably pissed off Trowa, he was momentarily helpless. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I seized Wufei's sword and lunged forwards. In the movies, one clean swipe is all you need to take off a vamp's head but in real life it's not so pretty. It took a series of blows to make any mark. I hacked at his neck for all I was worth, aware that he was struggling against the hold on him as I did so. Finally there was a bit of give and with one final whack, the blade connected with the wall.

Treize stilled and, for a moment, looked just plain pissed off. Then his head fell one way and the body fell the other, leaving it very clear that he was now an ex-vampire. Well thank fuck for that.

Turning, I went to leap at Trowa but my body froze in place when I realised it was in fact Heero standing there, bright blue eyes staring at me through a mask of blood.

* * *

Eek. How exciting.

* * *

Tyleet88 – Well, I didn't update quite as soon as you may have liked but it's here now! Hopefully that wasn't a letdown. And thank you very much, I'm glad you've liked it so far. Also thanks for the PM, that was a pleasure to receive. 

xXTortus AngelusXx – Ah, well, I hope that's a good kind of interesting.

Hitokimi – Ooh, not quite, though I can see how it seemed that way. Haha. Hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger there and will now have enjoyed this chapter!

Luciferian – Apologies for once more making you cranky. I suck, I know. Still… here's the chapter at last! And more to come after that. I can 95 guarantee it won't take a year to write this time. I'm actually motivated (gasp) to finish this now so there shouldn't be a massive wait. Hopefully. Thank you for sticking around! Enjoy. And thanks for your PM, haha… I got it today and that made me go write this chapter.

Red Stitches – Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you like Heero. He's a big difference from the canon dude but, eh, I like him too this way. What a hottie. And hmm you'll have to wait and see about the necromancer stuff I guess. We have zombies here but are they raised by Duo or someone else? Oooh who knows. I do.. but I'm not telling. Yet.

XoXoDokyou WingsXoXo – Thank you! It took a year but there is more, finally. Hope you enjoyed.

Howaito Ookami – Aww I apologise for the long wait and the suspense! I didn't mean to leave it this long, I'm just really crap and procrastinate a lot. A LOT, I guess. I hope you stuck around to read this chapter!

Imbrium1969 – Trowa… you know, I don't even know. I had a vague idea when I started but I've forgotten know as that was in 2002. I think he's just a hybrid of lots of different characters all culminating in one perv. But thanks, anyway! I'm glad you like it so far.

Hikaru Itsuko – Thanks! Nice to see you like it and, well, you're lucky as you didn't have too much of a wait for the next chapter. Hope you like it.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

This is it, kids. The final chapter. It's taken me nearly six years to complete this fic but I've finally done it. I can only say thank you to everyone that has stuck by me from the beginning and to those who joined later on. It has been a pleasure. I can only hope that I haven't disappointed you! I apologise for another long wait… I'm a very busy girl, unfortunately, and writing is not always my highest priority. But it's here, anyway, and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading.

I have a warning though—the second half is a bit explicit in a very male on male way, so if you're not into that or you're not old enough to be reading scenes of a sexual nature, I suggest you don't!

* * *

As I stood there staring at him, sword hanging limp at my side, it felt as though my heart had stopped. I forgot all of the pain from my shoulder and my triumph at having taken down the Master of the City. I wasn't aware of anything going on around us, not the remaining vampires scattering or the many furry bodies still charging around. I only had eyes for him. Hadn't that always been the way?

"Heero?" I asked, finally remembering to breathe.

Was this real? It couldn't be. I'd seen him die at the hands of Treize, just minutes ago.

Somehow, the vampire managed to look sexy even through the blood masking his face as his lips spread into a sensual smile. "Yes, mon ami. I am as alive as a vampire can be."

I didn't know what to do. Relief flooded my previously numb body but even so, I had no idea how to react. Hug him? Kiss him? _Slay _him? I was a vampire hunter, after all, and had been planning on using him purely to gather information for the job I had just completed. So did I need him anymore? Was he just a tool to pump for info? Just contemplating killing him made my insides twist uncomfortably… I was different, now, to how I had been just days before. I couldn't do it. Not to Heero.

The vampire seemed to understand my apprehension and kept his distance, watching me carefully with his pretty blue eyes. He lifted a pale hand, wiping blood from his face, but did not make a move towards me. I was relieved; torn between jumping on him and running from the place.

"I thought you died." Wufei remarked loudly, coming up next to me and staring at Heero. He didn't appear too thankful that that wasn't the case.

Heero shrugged elegantly. "I'm hard to kill."

The Chinese man smirked, nodding, then looked sideways at me. "And you. Did you summon those zombies? I didn't know you could do that, Maxwell…"

"Neither did I, actually," I admitted, not taking my eyes off the vampire. "I have no fucking idea how it happened."

Wufei made a 'hmm' noise, then shrugged, dismissing it as not important. He cast a searching look at Heero then slung an arm around my shoulder, guiding me towards the door. I glanced back at the vampire, feeling slight panic as we moved away from him, but I let my partner usher me out of the room. The battle was over and we'd one; the remaining minions had fled the place and the shapeshifters were, quite literally, licking their wounds. Quatre was safe with Trowa and… well, Heero was okay. He was still a vampire and a man, and that meant there was no point kidding myself. I was just being silly thinking there was anything there. He'd only wanted me for the challenge and I, well, I'd been easily influenced. It was simple. I had to let him go and move on, for both of our sakes. A vampire and a vampire slayer was not a match that worked.

---

A week passed. Minutes seemed to drag by like hours but I had managed to go cold turkey for seven whole days. My arm was healing up, slowly, and my dreams had stopped featuring an old vampire with half his face missing. Quatre had stopped by a few times to express his gratitude through a basket of muffins, much to Wufei's chagrin—but we'd both accepted now that our lives had changed and could no longer merely see wereanimals as just that, animals. Still, Wufei hadn't touched the muffins.

But my thoughts were consumed, endlessly, by Heero. I couldn't stop thinking about him. Never before in my life had I been so obsessed about one person. And that was what I told myself it was: obsession. Infatuation. Not love. It definitely wasn't love. Regardless, all I could see when I closed my eyes was his bright blue eyes and that smug expression. His voice echoed in my head. I could get no peace.

For the third time that day, I picked up the phone and started dialling the number to Guilty Pleasures then resolutely slammed it back down again. Wufei found this behaviour amusing and took every opportunity to torment me, talking about the vampire endlessly and taunting me over my feelings. As if I could help them. Jerk. More than anything, I told myself that I just missed being wanted. Women weren't exactly lining up around the block to go on dates with me so it had been a while since anyone had looked at me with such open hunger. So sue me if I liked that!

"Will you just phone him already?!"

I lifted my head wearily, watching as my Chinese housemate came into the room and saw me agonising over the telephone. I scowled in his direction, expecting taunts and insults but his expression was surprisingly concerned. He came to stand next to me, placing one hand on my shoulder with uncharacteristic care.

"Look, Maxwell… Whatever hang-ups you and I have about this, clearly you care for him. So call him." Wufei said, patting my shoulder and then pulling up a chair to sit by me. "And if I have to listen to you whine any longer I'll kill you."

Oh, like it was that easy.

"I can't…" I said, exasperated at the situation. "It's just… he's… well you know. I can't."

Wufei rolled his eyes exaggeratedly at me. "Just do it. You'll thank me later."

The 23-year-old then got up and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stared down at the telephone, screwing my face up and sighing. This was so stupid. I'd never had such a problem before and I still didn't know what to do. But… well, maybe calling wouldn't be too bad. Talking to him could relieve this awful obsession. Letting my breath out in a big whoosh, I gripped the phone and dialled the number to the club and then listened to the rings in my ear.

"Hello, you've reached Guilty Pleasures. This is Relena, how may I help?"

For a moment I couldn't think what to say, then I coughed and had a go anyway. "Erm, well, hi, Relena… It's Duo. Duo Maxwell. I want… I mean, I was wondering if—aah. Well."

"…Do you want to talk to Heero?"

I swallowed hard. "No! I mean, uh, no. What makes you think that? I was just… calling to… see how you are. Yeah. How are you, Relena? It's been so long. Last time I saw you, you were unconscious. How are you doing? All okay? Healed up? We were worried. And, yeah, so… how are you? Things good at the club? Business going okay?"

I could hear the sigh on the other line. "Duo. Shh. He's not here at the moment but I can arrange a meeting if you want."

That was the last thing I wanted!"

"No! No, I don't want that. Thank you."

"Let's see, he'll be back at about 7:30… can you make that?"

"Well yes but—"

"Great. Be here at 7:30, then, and someone will show you to his office. Nice talking to you, Duo. Bye!"

There was a click and I realised she'd put the phone down. I sat there for at least ten minutes with my mouth hanging open, eyes as wide as they could go and the phone still held to my ear. Had that just happened? Was I really supposed to go and meet him later? God… I didn't know if I could do it. I wasn't scared or anything, it was just… not a good idea. Talking to him was one thing. Seeing him would just encourage him and give him the wrong idea. I'm not gay. At all. And I think vampires are evil. So evil. Really. It just wouldn't work. Ever. No way, no how.

---

I stood nervously inside the entrance to Guilty Pleasures, playing with the zip on my leather jacket and contemplating just getting back on my motorbike and going home. This was ridiculous. But it was too late to make a graceful exit as someone had already appeared to take me to see Heero. My heart did a somersault and I did not stop fidgeting the whole time I was following the petite blonde girl who was taking me through the back rooms of the club. Finally we arrived at an oak door with 'Management' engraved on it. The girl knocked on it softly and then, once the person inside called out, opened the door and ushered me in. The door clicked shut behind me and I was left alone in his office, staring at the face I hadn't seen for a week.

"Bonjour, Duo. You wanted to, uh, see me?" Heero asked delicately, clasping his hands together and resting them on the smooth wood of his desk. He didn't rise to embrace me or even show that he was glad to see me. Instead, his expression remained neutral.

I nodded, slowly, and edged over towards the desk. His indifference was making me even more nervous but I sat down and pulled the chair in anyway, gazing over at him and feeling my heart beating away like it was trying to break free or something.

"Yes, I… well, I just wanted to talk on the phone actually but Relena got carried away…"

My admission didn't improve the situation, as his neutral expression morphed into a frown. Oops.

"I mean, I did, really… I was just scared," I added hurriedly, relieved when his face softened. I was making an ass of myself but I couldn't help it, I was so fucking freaked out. And then I blurted out, "I've missed you, Heero."

That made him smile. "And I have missed you, mon ami. You left very suddenly…"

"I know. I didn't know what to say. Are you okay? I thought Treize…"

Heero shook his head. "No. As I said before, mon ami I am very hard to kill. And his arrogance made him careless."

"Oh."

I fell silent, eyes dropping as I began to study the cream carpet in earnest. I had run out of things to say and I couldn't think of anything to continue with. I was so uncomfortable. Two parts of my brain were throwing conflicted ideas at me, battling for control over my actions. One part, that I had tried so hard to keep squashed at the back, was telling me to throw caution to the wind and just do what I so needed to do—to leap over the desk and kiss the vampire until my lips were so sore I could kiss no more. And yet the other part was commanding me to finish it now and leave, before I did something I could regret.

I had changed a lot since first meeting Heero but had I changed enough to accept what I was beginning to feel towards him?

Did I just want someone to want me, or did I genuinely care about this walking corpse? Could I get over that? Was I actually attracted to a freaking GUY? A religious upbringing had not programmed me for any of this, so it was quite natural for me to be against it. But what did I feel? What did I really want? Oh, for fuck's sake, who knows.

"Enough." Heero said suddenly, rising from the other side of the desk and stalking around to stand looming over me. "I have been patient, Duo but this is becoming a farce."

The blue-eyed male reached down and lifted me up by the arm, pulling me towards him. As soon as our bodies made contact, it was as though I was a blind man who had suddenly begun to see for the first time, flooded with sensations that were intoxicating and thrilling. And then his lips were on mine, kissing me with such intensity that I could hardly breathe. His lips were so exquisitely soft and he tasted surprisingly sweet; I was drowning in the very essence of Heero and if he pulled away, I would surely die.

This felt so astoundingly _right _that I could hardly believe it. Fumbling around with girls in dimly lit rooms had never had this profound effect upon me and I was starting to see why. Lifting my arms, I placed one hand on his back to push him even closer against me and grabbed a fistful of soft brown hair with the other. We devoured each other with our mouths until he suddenly ground his hips against mine and I let out a gasp, stepping backwards and nearly tripping over the chair I'd been sat in just moments before.

"Heero," I whispered, biting my lip. It felt so right but it was so wrong at the same time, I couldn't… could I?

The vampire didn't say anything, he just turned and walked off. For a moment I was flooded with panic, thinking that he had grown tired of my indecision and had chosen to call it off. But then he paused at the doorway into another room, looking back at me with as sexy an expression as I had ever seen. Then he moved inside and I was helplessly following him, emerging into a room with a massive bed as its centrepiece. The covers were all white, which was a pleasant change for a vampire's interior design tastes—I had expected black, black and more black. Heero had moved to sit on the bed, propped up by an expanse of cushions against the headboard, and he patted the space beside him with a sensual look my way.

Gulp.

Slowly I moved towards the bed, kicking my shoes off and climbing onto it cautiously. It was extremely comfortable and I could imagine very nice to sleep in but somehow I'm not sure that's what the vamp had in mind. Settling next to him awkwardly, I opened my mouth to invariably say something stupid to break the silence but then he'd leaned forwards and was kissing me again. Never before had I kissed someone and felt so right, so… well, actually, turned on. Screw all of my indecision; this felt good and I was going with it.

Heero pulled back slightly, smiling. "I'm glad. Now relax…"

The vampire shifted slightly so he was sitting up more and facing me as his pale hands dropped to my jeans and began to unbutton them. I was scared, there was no denying it but lust was fast overcoming my nerves. Tugging them down and then, after whipping the thick denim off, hurled them across the room carelessly. All that was separating him from skin now was a pair of black CK boxers and he wasted no time in unceremoniously yanking them down. I flushed red immediately—it had been a long time since I'd been in this sort of situation with anyone. But Heero wasn't looking at my face, instead he was focused intently on what he had revealed. The appraising look sent an all new sensation through me as blood began rushing to places other than my cheeks.

"Well, wasn't mother nature kind to us?" Heero said with a devilish smile, looking back up at me.

I was speechless. Incredibly turned on, but speechless.

And then, before I could even think about formulating a reply, his cool hand had secured around my shaft and began to work up and down like a pro. It struck me, in the back of my mind, that girls really had no idea what they were doing with a dick whereas a guy, well, what does he know better than something he can practise with himself? And the vampire was clearly well practised.

My head tipped backwards and hit the headboard with a thud but I didn't even notice; I was too busy trying to stop myself moaning out loud. It was difficult, though. Having waited so long since the last sexual attention I'd had, my body was aching to be touched and the sensations spreading from each motion his hand made were almost unbearable. I leaned in and captured his mouth in a kiss, crushing our lips together. He kept stroking away, even through the kiss.

"Fuck, Heero," I pulled away, hips bucking somewhat. "I—aah, jesus!"

I was acutely aware of how stupid I must have sounded but I couldn't stop myself from mumbling like that. And then, all of a sudden, he stopped. My breath caught in my throat as I stayed motionless, the sensations in my body starting to die down. Damn him! I was about to demand an explanation when suddenly something warm and wet engulfed my length and I lost the ability to speak. Except for a few groans and some moaned expletives.

"Oh my god, where did you learn to do this? Fuck, no, don't answer that, keep going. Don't stop—ohh," I trailed off, placing a hand on his head and grasping his soft hair gently. "Fuccck, god, Heero."

I've had one blowjob in my life before this and it had been on a drunken night with a stupid, annoying girl I'd known at highschool. I couldn't remember much of it due to the excessive amounts of beer and vodka in my system but I did know that she hadn't really known what she was doing and that, pardon the pun, it just sucked really. But this… Heero was clearly a pro and knew exactly what to do to make my back arch and my toes tingle. It felt ridiculously good and I was unable to stop myself from moaning loudly as he bobbed his head up and down, taking my whole cock into his mouth with each movement. Then he pulled back to focus on the head, taking to it like a tootsie pop.

That made me nearly explode with the sensations flowing from my groin and I let out a low sound of pleasure as warmth began to build up inside me. My moans grew increasingly loud—I could only hope there was nobody else around, or I would be very embarrassed later—until, finally, my world seemed to go white for just a moment as the pleasure came to its peak and I came the hardest I ever had in all my twenty one years.

"Oh fuuuuck, fuck, Heero. Ohhh god," I moaned as he continued sucking, extending my almost blinding pleasure until I collapsed back against the headboard, panting hard.

The vampire swallowed audibly then sat up, wiping his mouth slightly and gazing down at me with an expression that scared me in its intensity. Clearly this wasn't just sex—although I quite liked that part. I lunged upwards suddenly, crushing our lips together. I could taste myself slightly, a surprisingly sweet taste—most likely due to all the sugary muffins I'd been eating lately from Quatre—and that was a strange turn on. I sucked on his bottom lip, probing the inside of his mouth with my tongue. God. This was moving so fast but I didn't care anymore, I really didn't.

Heero pulled his head back, searching my eyes. "Duo…"

I knew what he was thinking; I didn't need vampire powers for that.

"Yes," I said simply.

Silently the vampire began to undress, knowing that he had my full attention. His hands lingered on the waistband of his tight black trousers, teasing me as his rubbed a hand lightly over his crotch. I choked slightly and nearly moved in to undo the button myself, but then he did it and eased the skin tight material down to reveal strong, toned legs and the fact that he wasn't wearing any underwear. Ohh, god.

Heero, obviously knowing what I was thinking, licked his lips at me and I nearly came undone in a very Jane Austen way. Then he placed gentle hands on me and, kneeling before me, guided my legs up onto his shoulders. Not quite what I had been imagining—somehow I had vague images in my head of a porn I'd seen a minute of as a 16-year-old, with one guy doing another from behind up against a wall—but I appreciated being able to see him. That was somehow much sexier. And the look in his eyes…

For a moment my lust faded back to worry—I was as inexperienced as they come with males, apart from the events of the last hour, and a bit unnerved by the whole ass thing. That was very new. But I knew that he wouldn't deliberately hurt me and while it would obviously be uncomfortable to begin with, it would get a lot better. So I just had to have faith. Gulp. That's never been one of my strong points… I'm more of a cut and run kinda guy.

Then, after probing me delicately with a few fingers coated with some slippery substance, Heero was pushing slowly into me. I gasped at this new sensation, twinges of pain coming from the pressure point. I'd never felt so _full _before and it was uncomfortable. But as he began to draw out and then ease back in again, my body relaxed and made the passage easier… and the pain was accompanied with pleasure. It was very different to all other sexual pleasure, in fact it was a lot more intense.

"Oh my god," I murmured, making Heero look worriedly down at me.

"Too much, mon ami?"

"No…" I let out a groan, pushing my hips up as we developed a smooth rhythm and the pace picked up. "Perfect actually. I—aah—you're pretty good at this, huh?"

He chuckled. "Well, I try."

Then he fell silent again and started pounding into me even faster now that my body had stretched to accommodate his size. The friction was incredible and I found myself just whispering expletives over and over. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced and I didn't want it to stop—except I could see the strain starting to show on the vampire's face and could tell that he was getting close. I was too, as a matter of fact. It hadn't taken any time at all for blood to rush back into my length and now this constant thrusting was pushing me towards the edge.

With one final, hard, thrust, Heero let out a groan and came inside me. That in itself was erotic—and new—enough to topple me over and I shot my load all over my chest. Eurgh. That was kinda gross. But then the male on top of me extracted himself from my legs and pulled out of my throbbing entrance, then leaned forwards and gave a long, exaggerated lick of my chest and removed the sticky substance. Fuck.

Shifting until he was lying next to me on the bed, Heero wrapped his arms around me and then rested his head onto my shoulder; the picture of contentment. Aww… gag me with a spoon.

"Heero—" I began, but was cut off by his hand on my mouth.

"Shh," he murmured, kissing my neck. "We will have plenty of time to talk later."

Fair enough.


End file.
